


Miraculous Games

by cloverbrooks



Category: Hunger Games - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Completed, F/M, Finished, Gabriel Agreste as Hawkmoth, Miraculous Ladybug/Hunger Games AU, as well as love triangle, cloverbrooks, i know I'm the worst, love square, some violence, wattpad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-08-10 10:30:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 99,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7841320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloverbrooks/pseuds/cloverbrooks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miraculous Ladybug/Hunger Games AU</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>Marinette, the local baker girl in her district, volunteers to protect the little girl she babysits. Now, with Nathanael at her side, she must defeat the rest of the Charms in the Miraculous Games arena. </p>
<p>Adrien is being forced to be betrothed to the winner of the Miraculous Games by order of his father, President Agreste. But, ever so surely, he starts secretly rooting for "Ladybug", which brings some terrible consequences... </p>
<p>While Marinette is struggling with enduring to the end of the games, Chat Noir has been doing some undercover work. He chases down the "Game Master" in order to try and find a way to break his beloved "Ladybug" out from the horrible prison. </p>
<p>Will Chat Noir save the one he truly loves from the deadly arena or will Adrien be forced to marry a stranger?</p>
<p>--- </p>
<p>COMPLETED 3/22/17</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One:

** Chapter One: **

 

The rain pattered gently against Chat Noir's ears. The sound of the repeated beats were going to drive him crazy. His blonde hair was dripping wet, but that part he didn't mind. A fresh earthly show was just what he needed. Other than the thunderstorms booming above him, the night was fairly quiet. He peered over the edge of the building he was standing on, trying to spot the Game Master. He had just entered the building. Sneaky...

Jumping off the building, Chat extended his staff and slid down to the ground. He looked up and down the hallway, watching for anyone who would be a threat. When he saw no one, he bolted for the door. He slipped inside as quiet as the moonlight, the door clicking silently behind him.

"Now, where are you?" He muttered to himself.

He explored the building. Peaking around corners and crawling around the floor, Chat found nothing. After about an hour of searching the building, he crossed his arms indignantly.

"Well, that was a waste of my time. But how could he have disappeared so quickly?" he thought aloud. He spun in circles, looking up at the ceiling. Something caught his eye. Furrowing his eyebrows, he spotted a crack that ran in a half semi-circle around the wall.

"Well, that can't be random." Chat stepped toward the wall and pushed against it. Nothing happened. He huffed irritably and kicked it. Still nothing.

"Stupid wall!" He punched it. Yelping, he pulled his hand away and tried to shake out the pain. "Ow! Ugh... time for a different strategy." He analyzed the wall, looking for any possible weaknesses. Nearby, an end table stood to his left while a painting of a gold woman hung on his right.

Hmm.

Chat opened the end table's front drawer. A moment of silence filled the hallway before the painting of the woman swung open, revealing a hallway lit by black lights. Chat's ears perked up and he gripped his staff.

"Found you, Game Master," he snarled. He slipped into the secret passageway, the painting closing behind him. His black boots clomped against the cool metal catwalk he had walked out on. Far below him, he could hear machinery grinding, but with the poor quality of the black lights, he couldn't see the bottom. The only thing he could see was straight ahead.

A man, dressed in all purple, stood at one of the holographic computers. His voice was low, but Chat could hear him.

"...Cliff edge here, a small pond there and there, extra maintenance tunnel under the main charm..."

Gripping his staff, Chat slowly advanced on the Game Master. He looked up and launched himself into the rafters. The Game Master didn't even blink. Creeping his way forward, Chat opened his staff's camera. He zoomed in on the holographic plans. Sticking his tongue out in concentration, he snapped a quick picture. He had a feeling he would need it later. For now, though, he needed to go. Looking at the time application on his staff, he realized that he only had fifteen minutes before his father was supposed to pick him up for the Grand Meeting.

The Miraculous Games wouldn't start themselves.

*** * ***

"Marinette! Are you up and moving yet?"

Marinette groaned and rolled over in her bed, throwing her pillow over her ears. "Nooooo," she moaned.

"Well, you better be ready in fifteen minutes. The Lucky Choosing is in less than an hour!"

"Okay, Papa..."

Marinette pulled the pillow off of her head and flopped on her back, her blankets tangled around her legs. She had been dreading this day for the past week. Unlike the rest of her school, she didn't want to go. The thought that she would possibly be chosen was enough to drive her insane. She didn't want to win. She just wanted to be with her family -- and her crush. Her heart melted at just the thought of him.

Ah... Adrien Agreste...

He was so perfect. Blonde hair, bright green eyes, and had the sweetest personality. Marinette always watched the Capital's news, not because she wanted to know what was going on in the districts, but because she wanted to see Adrien. No doubt other girls throughout the country were doing the same thing, but Marinette felt like it was her special ritual.

On top of that, she had her room decorated with everything Adrien. She had photos, magazine clippings, even a blue scarf he had dropped when he had visited her district that she happened to have found. She would give it back to him someday, or, at least, she hoped so.

"Marinette!" Her mother called. Marinette squeaked and shot out of bed, remembering that she had to get ready.

"Y-yes?" she replied, trying to tie her black hair into pigtails.

"I have your dress washed and ready!"

"Thanks, mom, I'll be right down!" After glancing one last time at her hair, she quickly descended down her stairs into the front room. Her mother awaited her, smiling and brandishing the dress Marinette had designed. It was red with black spots that flared out at the waist and came down to Marinette's calves. It was simple, yet it had a formal feel.

"Aw, Mama! I love it!" Marinette threw her arms around her mother, giving her a big hug. Her mom smiled and pulled away, giving her the dress.

"You don't have a lot of time to get ready. Alya will be here soon to walk with you to the Choosing."

Marinette sighed. "Mama, do I have to go?"

"Yes, sweetie. I know you don't want to go, but someone has to look after little Manon."

She sighed and looked down at the floor. "But mom, don't you thinking that's horrible? Manon is barely even seven. Why does she have to be chosen for the Miraculous Games?"

Her mom spread her hands. "I don't know, sweetheart, but it's just the way things work."

"If you two are done talking, I've got some crepes ready to eat," her dad interrupted.

"Thanks, Papa, but I'm going to go get dressed before I eat."

"As long as you promise not to spill any breakfast on you," her mom warned. Marinette smiled.

"I promise, Mama." Her parents both gave her smiles before she rushed upstairs to get ready.

After eating a delicious breakfast and helping her Papa clean up, the doorbell rang. Her mom set down her dish towel and walked to the front door. She opened it to reveal Alya, dressed in a black and white dress, and little Manon, wearing a blue dress of her own.

"Hey, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. Is Marinette ready to go?"

"Almost!" Marinette called from the front room, which was quickly followed by a screech and something crashing.

Marinette's mother chuckled. "She'll only be a minute."

Marinette soon stumbled to the door, her shoe half on, half off. "Sorry, I'm here now."

"Don't forget your bag, sweetie," her mom reminded, handing Marinette her small clip bag.

"Thanks, Mama." Marinette kissed her mother's cheek, wave to her father, then stepped out into the hallway with Alya and Manon. Little Manon gave Marinette a giant hug, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"You looks so pwetty!" She complimented, her buck teeth stopping her from talking normally.

"Aw, thanks, Manon. You do too." The little girl beamed up at her.

Alya nudged her friend. "I made sure I came and got you early so we have no chance of being late since you almost always are."

Marinette hung her head. "Sorry... Thanks for coming to get me early, though."

"I know you too well," Alya smiled and the two girls exchanged a hug.

"Can we go now? Pwease pwease pwease?" Manon begged, tugging on Marinette's dress.

She sighed. "Alright... Let's go." With one last exchange of nervous smiles, Alya and Marinette followed little Manon's skipping to the Lucky Choosing. 

 

_**\---** _

_Woohoo! New fanfic idea! Who's ready for some Miraculous Ladybug fun?!_

_Thank you to_ overthinker1281 _on Wattpad for helping me with the idea!_


	2. Chapter Two:

##  **Chapter Two:**

 

“Welcome to the 65th Annual Miraculous Games!” Alec, the usual announcer for the games, declared. The crowd clapped, but by the sound of it, none of the kids there were excited to be standing in orderly lines and awaiting their doom. 

“As we all know,” Alec continued, “we choose two lucky kids from the audience to compete in the amazing Miraculous Games! But, as a twist this year, the Charms will have a very low chance of dying!” 

The silence of the audience proved just how shocked everyone was at that notion. 

“That's right, folks! We have a special competition this year! President Agreste has created a video for all of you to view.” He nodded to the technical crew and they started the video on the plaza’s projector. 

“Good morning, citizens,” President Agreste started, his butterfly glasses gleaming in the odd stage lighting that was illuminating him. “I am pleased to announce that this year’s Miraculous Games are going to be very different. Instead of competing for the mythical creatures to the death, a much greater prize is at stake.” He moved aside and waved his arm at his son, Adrien, who took his spot by his father’s side. Even though he was over a video, Marinette (and every other girl in the crowd) sighed. Alya nudged her and she straightened. 

“This year, the winner of the Miraculous Games will be either, depending on if the winner is male or female, betrothed to the next leader of this strong country -- my son Adrien Agreste -- or promoted to work in high office here at the Capital. 

The gasps that ripped through the crowd could have sucked all of the air out of the atmosphere. Girls began to whisper quietly to themselves, now overly excited to be one of the chosen. The boys were excited as well, talking among themselves about what it would be like to work in high office. 

Marinette watched the video while everyone else talked. She couldn’t help but notice the sadness hiding behind Adrien’s eyes. She had spent hours staring into them through her posters, and even though it may not have been the same thing, she knew sadness when she saw it. Why was he so sad? He was about to get a friend. Well, then again, it was more like he was gaining a wife. 

Huh. Maybe he did deserve to be sad. 

“Mari, are you daydreaming about him again?” 

“AH!” Marinette jumped, throwing her hands around her face in a jazz-hand fashion. “Alya, don’t scare me like that!” 

Alya raised an eyebrow, but before she could tease her more, Alec asked for their attention again. 

“It is now time to pick the Lucky Charm for this year’s Miraculous Games! Mrs. Chamach, if you would please bring the bowl up to the stage?”

The audience’s eyes were glued to the spherical bowl as it was brought up to the stage. Hopes and prayers filled the plaza. Breaths were held. Fingers were crossed. Alec reached into the bowl and brought out one slip. Unfolding it and stretching it out, he cleared his throat. 

“Manon Chamach.” 

Mrs. Chamach froze. The bowl slipped out of her hands, clattering on the stage, thankfully not breaking. Her face was pale with shock and her lips were trembling.

“N-no,” she stuttered. “Alec, please no. Not my little Manon. She’s only seven!” 

Alec spread his hands. “I’m sorry, but it’s the rules that she must be in the Games, unless someone of appropriate age volunteers.” 

Manon clutched Marinette’s leg. She appeared as though she might break out into tears. 

“I-I don’t wanna go,” she muttered, hugging her babysitter tightly. Alya bent down and tried to pry her away, speaking soft words, but Manon began to at up. “I don’t wanna go!” she shouted. “I don’t wanna!”  

“Manon, please--” 

“NO!” 

Marinette’s neck started to sweat. She knew what she needed to do; there was no questioning it. Raising her chin, she stepped out of line into the aisle. 

“I volunteer as Lucky Charm!” 

All attention landed on her. The shock of what had just happened rippled through the crowd, and even through Marinette herself. What had she just done? Did she really just volunteer to fight for her biggest crush? She was insane. 

Oh no, what would her parents say?!

“Brilliant!” Alec cheered. “Come on up to the stage, my dear, and introduce yourself!” 

Shaking, Marinette slowly started to make her way to the microphone. She could feel the stares of her district on the back of her neck. As she climbed the steps, her foot got caught on the third step. She yelped and slammed into the stage. 

“Oh man! Looks like we have a clumsy Charm folks!” Alec mocked. The crowd began to laugh. Marinette’s face burned red, no doubt matching the shade of her dress, but she made her way over to the microphone. Mrs. Chamach, who was standing beside Alec, had grateful tears running down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. 

“Thank you,” she sobbed. “Thank you so much, Marinette.” 

Marinette smiled shyly and hugged her in return. “It was my pleasure, Mrs. Chamach.” 

“Alright, young lady,” Alec interrupted, shoving a microphone into her face. “What’s your name?” 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” 

“Man, that’s a mouthful, am I right?” he asked the audience. They all nodded. He turned back to look at Mrs. Chamach. “Are we ready to select the other name?” 

Mrs. Chamach was on her hands and knees, picking up the slips of paper that had fallen out. She looked up when Alec had asked his question and nodded. Getting to her feet, she picked up the bowl and held it out. Alec dramatically reached into the bowl. After digging a little deeper into the bowl, Alec pulled out a crinkled piece of paper. He unfolded it, and if he had any hair, he probably would have flipped it behind his shoulder he was acting so hard.  The audience held its breath. Marinette couldn’t help but wonder who she would be partnered with. She couldn’t think of any boy that she knew who would be willing to work with her -- the local baker girl. 

She was so deep in her mental world, she only heard the next Charm’s first name. 

“Nathanael…” 

In the crowd, everyone turned to face one boy. Marinette could see his red hair stick out like a red thumb among the other people in the audience. His face flushed the same color of his hair and he stepped out of line. Marinette couldn’t help but notice that he had stuffed a pencil and paper into his pockets. 

She knew Nathanael, but they weren’t close. He worked down the street from her family’s bakery at the local art studio. He knew his family run the city art museum, which was no doubt where he learned to love art. He was in the same class as her at school, but they didn’t talk much. Now, she was being paired with him in a competition that would stretch the both of them to the limit. 

Once he was standing next to her on the stage, Alec asked him to introduce himself. Marinette decided to zone out completely at that point. She could not believe what she had just done. 

She had volunteered to fight in the Miraculous Games. How much worse could things get?


	3. Chapter Three:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the last chapter was so short, I decided to post another one. :) Enjoy

##  **Chapter Three:**

 

Adrien watched the live broadcast of the districts nervously. His palms were sweaty, his heart was pounding, and his mind was racing. He watched as both girls and boys were chosen from the Charm bowl, though there were a couple pairs of boys and two pairs of girls. One pair he wasn’t exactly pleased with was from one of the richer districts. A blonde girl, announcing her name was Chloe Bourgeois and that was the daughter of the leader of her district, and a redhead named Sabrina gave him the odd sense of caution. He didn’t want to spend time around those girls, that’s for sure. Some of the others he thought were okay and all.

One of them caught his eye, though.

He watched as a girl with midnight black hair and bluebell eyes stand up for a seven-year-old. Her simple red and black dress reminded him of a ladybug. What was her name? Marinette?

“Find any you like yet?” His one and only friend, Nino, asked over his shoulder.

He shrugged. “I’m not allowed to give an opinion at the moment, Nino, you know that.”

“Come on, man. You have to at least like one.”

Adrien rolled his eyes, ignoring his friend’s pestering. Nino finished picking up Adrien’s untouched lunch and placed it aside.

“Alright, dude, if you don’t choose one just by looks, how are you going to learn to love your future ‘betrothed’?” He made air quotations with his fingers as he said the last word. The mockery of his father was amusing to Adrien, but he decided not to comment on it.

“Fine, I’ll make you a deal. If you bring me an extra croissant when you bring me dinner, I’ll tell you.”

“You’ve got a deal!” Nino exclaimed then slid into the seat next to his friend. Adrien smirked then pointed at the tablet he was watching the broadcasts on.

“That girl.”

“The one in the red dress and ponytails?”

“Yup. She’s the one I’ve got my eye on.”

Nino rubbed his chin. “Not bad, not bad. Personally, I like the girl she’s standing next to in this frame.” He used his finger to point to who he was talking about. Adrien zoomed in. It was blurry, but he could make out a few of the girl’s features, such as her brown to blonde ombred hair and the fact that she was holding the girl that Marinette had saved.

“She’s not a bad looker either,” Adrien agreed. Nino nodded and stood, starting to dry off some of the freshly washed glasses that had just arrived. Adrien watched him for a while, then sighed. “Nino, I’m really nervous about all of this.”

“Why do you say that?” he asked.

Adrien rubbed the tablet anxiously. “It’s just… don’t you find it odd that my father decided to offer me as the prize? Do you think he’s just trying to get rid of me.”

Nino stopped rubbing the cup and thought for a few minutes. Finally, he responded, “I dunno, man… Your dad makes you do a lot of things, but this seems a little bit too extreme. Maybe he’s trying to satisfy a crowd or something.”

“If he’s trying to satisfy the country, let’s just say he’s doing a brilliant job a that. Half of all the districts are probably having to protect their Charms.”

“Protect them? Why?”

Nino laughed and set the glass down. “Really dude? Why do you think?”

“Um… because my father’s rich?”

Nino shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose, his glasses shifting up as he did so. “Dude, I swear, you drive me crazy sometimes.” He spread his hands, gesturing toward Adrien. “All the girls want to be able to be with you! You’re all over the news, for one, and then on top of that, have you seen how many magazines are dedicated to just your face?”

Adrien chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he blushed. “Alright, I see what you’re getting at. That doesn’t mean I’m okay with it, though. I’d rather not cause other people pain just because my father wants to give me away…”

A sad silence fell between the two friends, and when Nino was ordered to go by Adrien’s assistant Natalie, he didn’t protest.

“I’m so glad I was able to catch you on a down time,” Natalie stated simply, then took a seat in one of the high-backed chairs. “Your father wishes to see you.”

“Joy. Let me guess, is it about the decorations? The parade? The rooms?”

Natalie lowered her head and gave him the serious-eye. Obviously, she wouldn’t be giving him the look if he was wrong. He sighed.

“Okay… Let’s go, then. No use keeping him waiting.”

“Indeed,” Natalie agreed seriously.

Adrien got to his feet, dusting himself off, then followed Natalie. He glanced back one last time at the tablet. With his curiosity brimming, he decided he would have to learn more about each girl, and especially the black-haired blue-eyed one. Marinette…

*** * ***

Marinette sat dejected in the visiting room, writhing her hands in her lap. What had she just done? Had she really just saved a little girl from going through a mentally scarring experience or had she just put herself in line to finally have a chance to win over her crush? Now that she was thinking about it, she didn’t know which one sounded better. Probably the one that sounded less selfish.

She jumped when the door swung open. Her mother and her father came into the room, tears streaming down both of their cheeks.

“M-mom,” Marinette choked out before her parents wrapped her up in an earth-crushing hug.

“Oh, my little girl…” Her father wept, holding her close.

“No, don’t cry, Dad,” Marinette pleaded. “I’m sorry I said something. I should have stayed quiet. I knew you needed help at the bakery the next few months and I didn’t mean to--”

“I am so proud of you…”

Marinette stopped. “W-what?”

Her parents pulled away but didn’t let her escape their circle of arms. “We are so proud of you,” her mom explained. “We knew that once little Manon’s name was called that you would say something. We just knew that you would save her from the Games.”

Marinette was in total shock. She glanced between her parents, trying to deduce if they were joking or not.

“But… what about the bakery? What about school?”

“Don’t worry about those, Mari. You stood up for someone who was helpless, and we couldn’t be more proud.” Her mother nodded, agreeing what her father had just said.

Marinette was speechless. Somehow, her parents had just lifted a huge weight off of her shoulders. She had been so worried they would be upset with her for doing something so rash, but they had only supported her.

“You guys are the best parents ever.” She gave them another crushing hug before one of the bodyguards barged into the room.

“Your visiting time with your parents is over.”

“Don’t forget to be kind,” Her mother reminded her as she was being shuffled away.

“And be the superhero everyone already believes you are!” Her dad exclaimed just before the door slammed closed.

“I won’t…” Marinette muttered, her voice echoing in the empty room.

Just when she thought she was going to be led to the train in order to be shuttled up to the Capital, three more people came barreling into the room.

“Mawinette!” Manon exclaimed, running toward her and wrapping her arms around her legs.

“Hey there, little angel,” Marinette replied with a forced smile.

“Mari, what have you gotten yourself into?” Alya asked, giving her a pitiful smile.

Marinette spread her hands helplessly, and as she did so, Mrs. Chamach stepped toward her.

“How will I ever repay you?” she asked, taking Marinette’s hands in hers.

“There is no need,” she replied. “I’d rather have little Manon happy and safe than myself.”

Alya came toward her and wrapped her arms around her best friend. “Oh Marinette, you have what people call a heart of gold.”

“And I hope that heart is what helps you survive in the Games,” Mrs. Chamach added. “If you’re willing to stand up for the innocent, you deserve to win.”

Marinette humbly bowed her head. “You are very kind, but I’d rather play fair than cheat because of a good deed. It’s contradicting, don’t you think?”

Alya and Mrs. Chamach nodded. Manon tugged on Marinette’s dress.

“You’ll win, won’t you? Pwomise?”

Marinette bent down and wrapped her arms around the little seven-year-old. “Manon, I can’t promise anything, but I can promise that I will do my best.”

Manon broke into a buck-tooth grin, her smile warming Marinette from head to toe. “I bewieve in you!” She cheered. “Mawinette will win!”

Mrs. Chamach chuckled and scooped her little girl into her arms. “She’ll definitely try her best. Now, it’s time to go home. We have to get you ready to go over to Alya’s house.”

Manon’s expression fell. Marinette’s heart panged with sadness as she realized that she had planned on babysitting Manon after the choosing. Now Alya had to watch the little angel.

Alya noticed Marinette’s sudden change of expression when Mrs. Chamach and Manon left. She stepped forward, putting an arm around her friend’s shoulders.

“Hey, I’ll watch over her and make sure she doesn’t get into trouble, okay? You won’t have to worry about her.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about…” Marinette’s sad eyes found Alya’s. “What if I don’t come back to ever see my family or my friends again?”

Alya scoffed, but Marinette could tell it was forced. It was nice to hear that her friend was at least trying to brush it off like no big deal.

“Pah-lease,” she said dramatically. “Girl, when you get back, we’re totally having a party. The whole district would come and celebrate your return!”

Marinette shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself. “I guess so…”

Softening her expression, Alya put her hands on each of her friend’s shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. “Mari, I believe in you. You can do hard things. Besides, you heard Alec. You have a high likelihood of living through the ordeal. Even if you lose, you can still come home. Just stay alive, okay?”

Marinette, with tears forming in her eyes, embraced Alya in a sudden hug. Her friend was surprised at first but then hugged her in return. A few minutes later, Alya was forced to leave with the bodyguards. One stayed behind and ordered Marinette to follow him. She mindlessly did. Though she may not have known what would have happened, she knew what she was going to do: she was going to be the superhero her parents, her best friend, and little Manon believed she was.

Her heart of gold was going to shine.


	4. Chapter Four:

##  **Chapter Four:**

 

The train ride was long and boring, and especially awkward with Nathanael sitting next to her. Marinette couldn't help but feel closed off. With the boy on her left and a window to her right, she wasn't going anywhere. 

“So,” Nathanael started. “That was a really brave thing you did back there for Mrs. Chamach's daughter.” 

Marinette shrugged. “It was no big deal,” she replied emotionlessly. 

“No big deal? I bet hundreds of people know you now and are super impressed!” 

“It was no big deal,” she deadpanned. “Please, Nathanael, I don't want to talk about it…” 

“Oh… of course. Sorry.” He shrunk down in his seat, turning his head partly away from her. Marinette bit her lip. She didn’t mean to make him feel bad, but she just wasn’t in the mood. Leaving everything behind her was proving a challenge. She had watched out the window until the last glimpse of her district had disappeared over the horizon. Even with the hugs and support from her family and friends, she still was a little uncomfortable. 

“Look, Nathanael,” Marinette started quietly. “I didn’t mean to offend you. This is just all so new and… stressful… Please don’t take any of my moods personally. It’s not your fault.” 

He gave her a small smile. “Hey, it’s no big deal. We can support each other during this difficult time.” 

Grateful, Marinette smiled. “Yeah, I like that idea.” 

The pair was about to talk about more serious things, but they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. It was Alec. He was wiggling his eyebrows at them, TV cameras peeking over his shoulder. 

“Ooooh, looks like we have some sparks flying!” 

Nathanael’s face blushed as bright as a fresh tomato. Marinette’s expression hardened. 

“I’m sorry, Alec. I think you have the wrong idea. Do you guys ever give us some time to talk alone?” 

“Nope,” Alec replied with a bright smile. “Now, tell me. What are you guys most excited for?” 

“E-excited for?” Nathanael questioned. 

“Yes! The food? The fight? The fans?” 

“W-well… The food, I guess?” 

“Great choice!” Alec turned to Marinette. “And what about you, Miss Dupain-Cheng?” 

She got to her feet and looked directly into the camera, plastering a smile on her face. “I am excited to stand up for my family and friends, taking them with me all the way until the very end.” 

The camera men and Alec let out a simple: “Aww…” 

Taking Nathanael’s arm with an air of triumph, Marinette pushed past the TV crew. “Now, if you’ll please excuse us, we need to talk.” 

Before they could complain, she pulled Nathanael into another compartment and closed the door behind her. She let out a frustrated breath. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so harsh…” 

“No no, it’s okay. You have perfect reason to feel that way.”

She gave a slight nod. “Alright… But now that is all sorted out, we need to talk strategy.” 

“Strategy?” 

“Yes. If we are to beat the rest of the other Charms in the games, we need a plan.” 

Nathanael self-consciously stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Okay. What do you have in mind?” 

Marinette tapped her chin. “Well, where we go depends on what the Games arena is like, but I think we can make one commitment now: we need to stick together. Neither of us goes solo.” 

“I’m okay with that,” he responded a little too quickly. 

“Then that’s what we’ll do. Since they said that we have a very low likelihood of dying, I think we should all be able to get home safely.”

Nathanael nodded, looking down at the floor and rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “You know… I read a book once. It told a story that took place in our society. It described two people who were chosen for the Miraculous Games, and in order to survive, they acted like they were in love in order to gain votes.” His eyes moved from his sneakers back up to her eyes. “Do you think it would be a good idea if we did the same thing?” Before Marinette could respond, he rushed on. “I know it sounds crazy, but we might be able to pull a similar string.” He sighed and looked out the window. “It might be the easiest way we can get home to our families together.” 

Marinette was speechless. Maybe Nathanael was onto something. Alec had already asked if they were a couple. If they acted like one… 

But what about Adrien? Her heart reminded her. She mentally shook her head. As nice as it would be to win Adrien’s heart, her head told her she needed to get home to where it was safe. 

“That’s a really clever idea. I think we should try it. We’ll just have to be careful.” She held out a hand, a genuine smile stretching across her lips. “You ready to go back?” 

Nathanael, his face flushing pink, nodded and took her hand. They interlaced their fingers together, each taking a deep breath, then walked back into the train car with the cameras. Marinette couldn’t help but feel like she was putting on a mask. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to wear it forever… 

She hoped and prayed the lucky charm would be on her side. 

*** * ***

“- and you have a hair appointment before the Charms get here. Once that is finished, you will be escorted to the fitting room where your suit will be waiting for you. Makeup will be outside the door…” 

Adrien decided to start ignoring Natalie. As much as he appreciated the help she was giving him, she always took things to the next level. He was standing completely still as a tailor pinned a suit to perfectly match his body. He had been standing as straight as a board for the past two hours and he was about ready to give up. 

To help distract him from the overwhelming sense of dread for the night, he let his thoughts drift aimlessly back to the Charms that had been chosen. He was intrigued by many of them, but the same girl kept coming to mind. 

Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

Apparently, she had been the daughter of the local district bakers before she had been chosen. It was hard for him to imagine such a delicate girl working in fiery oven rooms. Well, now that he had time to really delve into the idea, it kinda did make sense. The way she carried herself, the slight tilt of the chin. The more he thought about it, the more he could see her wiping flour across her forehead while rolling out dough or helping her parents take bread out of ovens. 

He wondered if she could bake exceptionally well. Well, there was no doubt that she could, but it was more of a question of  _ would she? _ Would she retreat to the kitchen to bake in order to keep her mind off of things or did she have some other hobby? Some jobs weren’t hobbies, so Adrien couldn’t be sure. Would she make cakes or cookies? Bread or waffles? 

Mmm… waffles. 

“Adrien.” 

He snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention back to Natalie. She was irritably tapping her foot against the floor. “What did I just say?” 

Adrien rolled his eyes and stated emotionlessly: “My hair appointment is after I get tailored here, and once that’s done I will put on the suit. The makeup people will be outside the door when I come out. The rehearsal of the ceremony will begin at five and the actual ceremony itself will happen at seven. When all the Charms arrive, I am to introduce myself and attempt to be social with them. That part of the night will continue for -” 

He was cut off by someone clearing their throat. Turning his head, Adrien saw someone standing in the doorway. He stiffened, which was almost impossible for how still he had been standing for the tailor. 

His father walked into the room, one of the lights glinting off of the clear glass in his glasses. The white suit he wore was accented with a hint of purple and red, which oddly went very well together with his shiny black shoes. He regarded Adrien with an air of disappointment. 

“I thought you would be ready to go by now.” 

“I am,” Adrien stated, his voice as stiff as his spine. 

President Agreste stared at his son for a moment longer before turning his attention to Natalie. “There has been a change of plans. The ceremony will start at six instead of seven. Rehearsal starts in less than an hour. See to it that my son makes it there on time. We cannot make the wrong impression to our guests.” 

Natalie’s face had gone from a normal pink to a ghostly panicked white. “O-of course, President Agreste. I will keep a close eye on him.” 

His father nodded with approval, then turned his attention back to Adrien. For a long time, neither of them said anything. Adrien waited for his father to say something that he did not favor of about him, but in the end, he just turned his back and walked away. The door closed silently behind him. The tension in Adrien’s back receded and he was left feeling like a rag doll. Natalie began to panic. She flipped through her paperwork, muttering to herself about having makeup and hair working on Adrien at the same time. 

While she freaked out and was trying to cram Adrien’s schedule, Adrien just stared at the door. He wished he had said something. There would have been no possible way for him to tell his father ‘I love you’, but maybe a nod of his head would have been enough. Oh well. The opportunity was gone, lost in the past that would never change. 

Adrien pushed the chatter between Natalie and the tailor aside, not allowing their stress to seep into his mind. He needed to stay calm and collected. Besides, he would be able to ask Marinette all the questions he had been wondering about. 

That would just have to be what kept him going for now. 


	5. Chapter Five:

##  **Chapter Five:**

 

Being waxed from head to toe left Marinette’s skin tingling. She breathed slowly, trying to ease herself into a happy place. She thought back to her room, pink and full of life. She remembered the designs that she had wanted to finish. The buttons really had to go on that one piece. She would have to remember to do that when she got home. 

If she got home. 

Slowly, her mind began to drift toward the thought of Adrien. His perfect hair brushing his forehead, the bright green color of his eyes… Ugh, why did he have to be such a perfect prize?

No, he is not a prize, she reminded herself. He is a human being and deserves to live his own life. 

She just hoped she would be a part of it. 

Marinette snapped out of her happy place and was forced back to reality when the door to the room opened and closed. Two girls walked into the room. The first had black hair that was dyed purple at the ends. Behind her, the second girl, who was shorter than the other and had blonde hair, was skipping into the room. They both wore outrageous outfits. The girl with the black and purple hair was wearing a bright pink dress that almost appeared plastic. The pixie blonde had an oddly fitting black and pink dress that reminded Marinette of some sort of goth princess dress. 

“Hey,” The black-haired girl said, waving her hand in hello. “My name is Juleka and this is Rose.” She motioned to the blonde. “And we’re here to get you ready for the parade.” 

“You’re going to look so good!” Rose squealed, appearing as though she may break out into song at any moment. 

Marinette sat up on the bed, pulling her hospital-like gown over her legs. “Oh, well, it’s nice to meet both of you.” 

“So we were wondering,” Juleka started, “if it was okay to dress you up in a skin-tight dress.” 

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. “Um… why?” 

“Because we’re going to make you a beautiful ladybug!” Rose exclaimed. She reached into the hallway and wheeled a fashion manikin into the room. She gestured to it dramatically, and Marinette couldn’t help but feel like she had been made for it. 

The outfit, part dress, part skin tight spandex, was red with black spots. It reminded Marinette of the dress she had worn to the Lucky Choosing, which was probably where the girls had received the inspiration. The top was long-sleeved and would hug her tightly, but once it hit the waist, red tulle would flare out down to her mid-calf. Underneath that, the spandex fabric had been made into leggings. The details she loved about the piece were A) the beautiful clip bag that hung from the shoulder and looked like a ladybug, B) how the tulle on the dress was cut higher in front than in back, and C) the matching mask to go with it. 

“W-woah,” She choked out. “That is amazing!” 

“We thought you would like it,” Juleka said, coming around to one side of the bed. “Now that you’re all ready, we can get you dressed up and through hair and makeup.” 

“You’re going to look beautiful!” Rose gushed. 

Marinette blushed. “Thanks, guys. And, just out of curiosity, how many designs have you two created?” 

The girls thought for a minute. 

“About… two hundred maybe?” 

“Give or take a little,” Juleka agreed. 

Marinette’s eyes were so big, they could have been two giant doughnuts. “H-how can you guys do that?” 

“Well, it’s our job, so we have to create at least one new design a day.” 

“It’s actually quite hard…” Rose muttered, rubbing her arm self-consciously. “Most of our co-workers get fired because they can’t create designs fast enough.” 

“Luckily,” Juleka stepped in, “we work well together as a team, so we can create at least one design, no matter how crappy it is.” 

Marinette couldn’t help but chuckle. These girls really did work together well. They must have been best friends. 

“Well, judging by the time, we need to start getting you into this dress. Can’t have you late for the parade, now can we?” Juleka winked. Marinette smiled and got to her feet, the cold floor making her internally shiver. She spread her arms. 

“I’m ready.” 

*** * ***

“Welcome back to the Miraculous Games Parade!” 

Alec’s voice echoed through the stands of people that lined the streets, stirring the crowd up with excitement. People had painted banners with their district’s names, printed shirts with the Charm’s faces on them, and even confetti with the theme printed on it. 

Animals. 

As Marinette looked out the window, she couldn’t help but scrunch her dress’s red tulle in her hands anxiously. The color scheme was a whole rainbow, with every color ever imagined being represented by one person in the stands. The thought of having everyone’s eyes on her made her sweat nervously. 

Someone tapped her shoulder. Jumping, she spun around. 

“Sorry,” Nathanael apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“Oh, no. It’s okay.” 

While Marinette was dressed up like a ladybug with her blue hair up in a bun, Nathan was wearing a fox-themed suit. His ginger red hair now matched his outfit perfectly, his suit being a very similar color. Fox ears stuck out of his hair and a tail accented with white trailed behind him. He looked really uncomfortable in his outfit, but so did every other Charm.

Marinette glanced over Nathanael’s shoulder, looking at all of their other competitors. She appeared to be the only one who felt at ease wearing spandex and a dress at the same time. Then again, all of the other designs were so different. Across the room, she could see a blonde haired girl dressed up like a bee complaining that she wasn’t going to be the first one that entered the parade. The managers of the event were politely ignoring her while the bee’s friend, who was dressed up like a hummingbird, was trying to get her to drop the subject. 

Marinette rolled her eyes, but before she could look at all of the other cool animal outfits, one of the managers started shouting to the Charms to get into their chariots. Nathanael glanced at Marinette, giving her a small hopeful smile before he walked away toward his chariot. 

Due to the different ‘prize’ this year, each Charm got to ride in their own individual chariot. Rumor had it that Adrien had come up with the idea. Marinette couldn’t help but grin when she saw her personal chariot. It was red and black, like her dress, but the wheels and front part of the chariot had been airbrushed a light pink. A couple helpers assisted her into the back of the ride, and while the horses kicked unhappily, the other Charms were escorted to their chariots. 

Marinette thought she would have been at the back of the group, but instead, she was pulled up behind the third Charm, which just happened to have been the blonde bee. When she saw Marinette behind her, she tossed her hair behind her shoulder dramatically, even though it was in a ponytail. 

“Well well, look who it is? It’s the ‘miraculous ladybug’,” she joked harshly. “I can’t help but wonder how helpless you’re going to be, especially being represented as a ladybug! Pah-lease. How lame is that?” 

Smirking, Marinette leaned against the side of her chariot. “In all honesty, I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been represented by a bee. Does that mean you have a sassy stinger under that ugly hair of yours?” 

The bee girl gasped, throwing a hand over her heart. “How could you say such a thing to my face? For your information, I am Chloe Bourgeois, the daughter of the mayor of my district, which is saying more than you could ever amount to!” 

Rolling her eyes, Marinette decided to ignore her. 

“Besides,” Chloe continued, examining her perfect nails. “I probably have way more admirers than you do, with you being only a ‘ladybug’. On top of it all, you also have the worst district partner of all time! An artist? Useless in my opinion.” 

Marinette pushed aside her ignoring once she brought up Nathan. Snapping her head toward her, she sent the best glare she could muster in such a happy-looking mask.  

“What do you have against Nathanael? His nice, strong, and brave.” 

“Please, he is just included in this game of cat and mouse because they needed an extra boy. He’s dead weight. Then having him dress up like a fox doesn’t make anything better, don’t you think?” Chloe batted her eyelashes innocently as her chariot lurched forward. 

Biting her tongue, Marinette wanted to jump out of her chariot and deck her over the head, but her ride started moving too. The horses started into a gallop. Marinette yelped and grabbed hold of the front of the chariot in order to keep herself standing upright. She had only a couple seconds to collect herself before she was wheeled out into blinding spotlights. 

“And here’s our ‘Ladybug’ Charm!” Alec introduced over the loudspeakers. The crowd went wild. Marinette, in utter shock, just stared at herself in the giant flatscreens that decorated the stands. She looked so weak and scared. Clenching her jaw with determination, she stood up taller and put on a confident smile. 

Much better. 

The crowd cheered so loud, Marinette almost felt like she was a superhero. Her mind flashed back to her family, friends, and little Manon. 

She hoped she was making them proud. 

*** * ***

Up in the high-class viewing balcony, Adrien was speechless. His jaw was hanging open, no doubt swinging around his knees as he stared. Sure, all of the other Charms had been impressive -- the bee trying harder than most -- but as the chariots filed out and the Lucky Charm ball was announced, one image was imprinted into his retinas. 

Ladybug had been exquisite. 

Her hair had been pulled back into a bun, her dress had shown off her fantastic figure, and her smile… Oh, her smile. 

He was drunk. That was the only way he could describe it. He was drunk on the impression she had given him. Even when his father had asked him to sit up straighter, Adrien couldn’t move. He felt sluggish, weak in the knees, whenever he blinked and saw her confident smile plastered to the inside of his eyes.

He needed to talk to her. If she was who he thought she was, he definitely needed to have a conversation with her. If his father wanted him to be the prize for the winner, he sure as the dots on Ladybug’s dress wanted it to be her. 


	6. Chapter Six:

##  **Chapter Six:**

 

Marinette stood awkwardly at the front doors of the Capital’s council hall. Lights flashed in the windows, color brushing the steps out front every few seconds. Did she have the courage to go inside?

Behind her, Nathanael put a hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey, we can do this.” 

She turned to look at him. His fox ears were sitting crookedly on his head, and she couldn’t help but giggle. Facing him, she carefully set them back into their previous position. His hair was so soft. When she was done, he slipped his hand into hers. 

“Together?” He questioned. 

His fingers were so comforting, even with the red gloves he had on, and they sent a spark through her. Marinette set her jaw confidently and squeezed Nathan’s hand. If he could do it, so could she. 

“Together.” 

She turned toward the entrance. Nathanael pushed open the door and sound rolled out of the open entryway. Dance music was playing as if to keep everyone from thinking they were about to be doomed. Charms were dancing on the dance floor, chatting at tables, and conversing with future sponsors. Marinette gulped, but Nathanael led her to one of the decorated tables. He pulled out a seat for her, and once she was comfortable, he sat next to her. 

During that time, Marinette was scanning the room. Chloe and her friend were flirting with a group of the male Charms. Just the sight of it made Marinette sick. Chloe was an idiot, a very pompous idiot. 

“Water?” One of the servers asked politely. Marinette looked up at them. It was a young man about her age with thick-rimmed glasses and hazel brown eyes. He was wearing a turtle costume to match the theme of the party, a board across his back acting as his shell.

“Oh, yes please,” she replied. The servant poured her a glass, and while he did so, Marinette caught his name on his tag: Nino. 

“Thank you, Nino,” she acknowledged. He gave her a sly smile. 

“You’re welcome, Ladybug.” 

Once Nino left, Nathanael nudged Marinette. “Why is everyone calling you Ladybug?” 

“They’re supposed to call you by your costume animal,” she replied, looking around the room. She pointed at Chloe. “See that girl there, dressed as a bee? By the way she’s being treated, she’s probably being called Queen Bee.” Nathanael snickered as she pointed to another person dressed like a peacock. 

“And him? Probably-”

The person turned. Marinette stopped abruptly. 

It was Adrien Agreste. 

Marinette couldn’t help but stare. His hair swooped to the left, and the feathered mask he wore framed his green eyes perfectly. His suit was designed to look like a peacock. The underlying color was gray, but they designer must have found a way to ombre the turquoise blue to green on top of it. His suit tail was layered with peacock feathers, and they only hung a foot above the ground. Around the back of his shoulders and connecting at his neck were, even more, feathers. 

“Probably what?” Nathanael asked innocently, not even looking at who she was staring at. 

Marinette swallowed hard and attempted to adjust her mask. He wouldn’t recognize her with the costume, would he?

“P-probably Adrien Agreste,” she finally stated. Nathan, upon realizing why she was so flustered over the boy, sat up a little taller. 

Then, their eyes met. Adrien’s perfect green met Marinette’s soft blue. She squeaked and gripped Nathanael’s hand for support as he walked toward her. Nathan gave her hand a comforting squeeze, not unlike the one they had shared when they had first walked in. 

_ Get yourself together _ , Marinette chastised herself.  _ You have to appear confident. You won’t win his heart being a freak or the Miraculous Games for that matter. _

“Hi,” Adrien greeted, waving to Marinette and Nathanael as he approached. “It’s good to see that you’ve made yourselves comfortable.” 

“We have, thanks,” Nathanael answered stiffly. 

The harsh voice he used gave Marinette a bit of a shock. Why was he being so sharp with one of the most important people of the country? And even for their destiny!

“I’m glad,” Adrien replied kindly as if he had chosen to ignore the fox’s unhappy tone. He looked directly at Marinette. “Do you mind if I speak with you alone?” 

Nathanael didn’t say a word. He got to his feet, bowed his head respectfully, then walked away. Marinette couldn’t help but notice that he appeared as though he might strangle Adrien if he said the wrong thing to her. 

_ Oh no _ , she panicked.  _ I’m alone with ADRIEN AGRESTE! _

“I saw you in the parade,” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “You did a really good job.”

“Oh, thanks…” 

The pair both mentally twiddled their thumbs, waiting for the other to say something, when Marinette realized that Adrien was still standing. 

“Oh! Please, take a seat.” She gestured to the seat Nathanael had been sitting in moments before. Thanking her, he took a seat. 

“So, Ladybug,” Adrien started. “What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time? Do you bake?” 

Marinette relaxed a little bit. This was a question she could answer easily. 

“Yes, I do bake. My parents run our local district bakery and I’ve learned to love it.” She paused, then decided that it would be okay to tell him what she was thinking about. “I also love to design clothes.” Blushing, she looked down at her lap as she continued. “I’ve always dreamed of coming to the Capital and seeing all of the crazy fashion statements. Not like this, though.” She chuckled as she scanned the room. Adrien smiled, following her gaze. 

“I must agree, the Capital does have a lot of crazy clothes.” 

Marinette smiled. “So, what do you like to do in your free time?” 

Adrien’s smile melted, turning into a solemn frown. “I don’t exactly have a lot of time for myself, actually. I have fencing, foreign language classes, piano, and then, on top of it all, my father’s political meetings.” 

“That sounds horrible,” Marinette blurted out before she could stop herself. She covered her mouth in shock, positive Adrien was going to hate her forever for stepping out of line. Instead, he just gave her a knowing smile. 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a great time to take naps.” A mischievous glint sparked in his eyes. “Does that count as a free time activity?” 

Marinette laughed. “I suppose so. Are you professional?” 

“Oh yes,” he replied without a second thought. “I am probably one of the best nappers of all time. I guess you could call them secret cat naps, really.” He leaned in and whispered. “Haven’t been caught once.” 

Marinette feigned surprise. “Wow, you really are a pro.” 

Before they could flirt any longer, their conversation was interrupted by a hand slamming against the table. 

“Adri-poo peacock! It’s been forever since we’ve seen each other!” Chloe leaned across the table, pressing into Adrien’s personal bubble. 

“Oh, uh, hey Bee?” 

“Queen Bee, if you don’t mind,” she corrected. Marinette mentally facepalmed. After correcting him, Queen Bee then looked between Adrien and Marinette. “Don’t tell me you’re hanging out with the loser Ladybug, are you?” She looked Marinette up and down like some sort of disgusting spider that had crawled out of her drain. 

Adrien got to his feet, glaring at Chloe. “I’m getting to know the other charms, Queen Bee.” 

Happy that he had gotten her name correct, Chloe interlocked her arm with his. “Well, you can come and get to know me just fine on the dance floor. Come on!” She pulled him away before Marinette could object to anything she had said. Before he was completely out of sight, however, Marinette saw him look back at her and mouth: We can talk later. She gave him a thumbs up and a small smile.

Behind her, someone whistled. Marinette spun around, throwing her hands around her face like a jazz square. Nino was leaning on her chair, watching Adrien be pulled away to the dance floor. 

“Poor guy, having to deal with that animal.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “She’s not just an animal, she’s a demon.” 

“I can’t argue with that.” He looked down at Marinette, then realized he was acting out of character. He quickly straightened. “Sorry, Ladybug. Can I get you anything?” 

She nodded and gestured to a seat. “Why don’t you relax a little bit? It must be difficult trying to take care of everyone here.” 

“You have no idea.” Glancing around nervously, Nino took a seat. He held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ladybug. Call me Jade Turtle.” 

Smiling, Marinette shook it. “The pleasure is all mine.” They pulled away and Nino kicked his feet up on the table. Marinette smiled and followed his example, showing off her spandex-covered legs. “So, who came up with your costume idea?” 

Nino spread his hands. “Who knows? I don’t, that’s for sure. I was just tossed the costume and was told to put it on.” 

“Ironically, I think it suits you.”

He gave her a look like, ‘did you seriously just pun?’ She spread her hands helplessly and gave him a shrug. 

“You seriously remind me of my bro, Adrien,” he replied, putting his hands behind his head and tipping his chair back on two legs. 

“Wait, you’re friends with Adrien?” Marinette asked. 

“Yup. Close as you could get for being his servant.” He rolled his eyes. “I swear, his father is crazy, but I’m not allowed to say that to anyone.” He looked at her with a coy smile. “Until now.” 

Marinette put her feet down and scooted closer to the table, her curiosity peaking. “What’s wrong with President Agreste?” 

Nino scoffed. “He’s just a harsh man, especially to us servants. I never really understood him and his motives, so I just learned to live with it.” His face fell a little bit. “I feel really bad for Adrien. He has to put up with that dude just because he’s his son. He has no free time to do anything when Mr. Big-Shot fills his schedule with crazy activities.” 

“Maybe the Miraculous Games will be his big break,” said someone behind Nino and Marinette. They both turned to find Nathanael, his arms folded detestably. 

“I doubt it,” Nino replied, adjusting his green mask and putting his feet back down on the ground. “Adrien is probably running around like a chicken with its head cut off. There was this whole thing to plan,” he gestured to the party that was going on around them. “And he had to come up with everything.” 

“So, he came up with the animal idea?” Nathan asked. 

He shook his head. “Nah, that was the President. He insisted that Adrien had to have that theme to work with, so Adrien ran with it.” 

Marinette looked around the room in all its glory, taking in all the little details that Adrien was ordered to choose out. In complete honesty, she thought it was magical. Adrien had chosen the pastries on the buffet tables. Adrien had chosen the color of the table clothes. Adrien had chosen the music that was playing. 

On the dance floor, she saw Queen Bee and ‘Adri-poo Peacock’ slow dancing. She knit her eyebrows together. The sight bothered her. Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Did he get to chose out his animal?” 

Nino shook his head once more. “Nope, President Agreste forced him to do that too.” 

“Well, he doesn’t look bad…” 

_ Oh dang, he looked real good.  _

Nathanael scowled but didn’t say anything. 

On the stage, Alec (the giraffe) tapped the microphone in order to get the crowd’s attention. Marinette couldn’t help but notice Adrien peeling himself off of Chloe and taking a few steps away from her. 

Good riddance. 

“Hello, Miraculous Charms and supporters!” Alec announced, his tone way too happy. “We want to thank you all for coming to the party. Before the night’s festivities continue, we have the amazing opportunity to have the President speak to us! Give it up for President Gabriel Agreste!” 

The crowd clapped as Gabriel made his way to the microphone. Beside Marinette, Nino got to his feet and stood at attention. She had a feeling he didn’t want to be spotted sitting next to two Charms when he was supposed to be serving them. 

President Agreste stood with his hands behind his back until the applause died down. Once it did, he gave the crowd a small smile. Marinette found it odd that he wasn’t in a costume. 

“You would think that since he came up with the animal idea, he would at least dress up,” she muttered to Nathanael. He shrugged. 

“Thank you for all coming. I am positive my son, Adrien, shares the same gratitude.” Marinette caught the look he sent toward the dance floor before he continued. “The party will last until eleven tonight, but if any of our Charms wish to retire to their rooms, we have guards stationed for your own personal bodyguards. Servants have also been placed in your rooms to assist you.” He scanned the crowd, a fake smile plastered across his face. “Enjoy the party.” 

The crowd applauded as he got down from the stage. As Marinette clapped, she watched the President leave, slipping out with a handful of bodyguards out a side door. 

“Hey,” she said to Nathanael, “I’m going to go to bed.” 

“But it’s only eight-thirty.” 

“I know, but I-”

“Will you at least have a dance with me before you go?” 

Once he blurted that out, Marinette actually turned to look at him. His face was as bright as a fresh tomato. Biting her lip, Marinette thought about the invitation. 

“Alright, just one dance.” 

He nodded shyly, then extended his arm for her to take. It was as if he didn’t want to look her in the eye, but Marinette decided not to pay attention to that. He led them out onto the dance floor as a slow song began to play. They took their dance position and once they got on time, they began to dance. 

As they swayed awkwardly, Marinette was glancing over Nathanael’s shoulder, trying to find Adrien. She couldn’t find him or his outfit anywhere. Did his father make him leave? Was he in a corner snogging with Chloe? Just the thought of that made her want to punch a wall. 

“Marinette,” Nathanael said, snapping her out of her thoughts and bringing her attention back to him. “I want to thank you.” 

“For what?” 

He was quiet for a long time before responding. “You’ve been so nice to me and I know that I wouldn’t even have any friends here if you weren’t here with me. You’ve been a real life saver.” 

She gave him a kind smile. “It’s the least I could do. I mean, how many people can pull off those fox ears?” She flicked them and Nathan flushed. 

“Yeah, I-I guess you’re right.” 

They continued to dance, no doubt stretching the blanket of awkward to its limit. As they did so, something dashed by in the corner of Marinette’s vision. She turned and spotting a blurry black figure out the window. Furrowing her eyebrows, she was about to mention it to Nathanael, but the song ended. He let go of her and stepped away, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Thank you for the dance…” 

“Yeah, no problem,” she replied automatically. “Now, uh, if you will please excuse me, I have to go check-- I mean, go to bed.” She bowed her head, then dashed away. She headed for the door, and once she was out in a spacious white hallway, she looked around. Chandeliers hung from above and cast their light around the room. The light reflected off of tall windows that stretched almost to the ceiling. Scrambling toward the window, Marinette peered outside. 

The black figure had disappeared. 


	7. Chapter Seven:

##  **Chapter Seven:**

 

Chat Noir ducked behind a roof, peeking around the corner. He spotted Ladybug looking out the window. Did she see him? And if she did, had she recognized him? He hoped not. It might have put her in serious danger. 

Watching her a little longer, he had the idea to include her in his mission. 

_ No, she can’t get involved, _ he scolded to himself.  _ She is one of the competitors. If she knew what would be in the arena… _

That thought gave him pause. She would know what the arena would hold, like him. She could figure out how to survive the longest, she was that clever after all, and she could win. And he could be with Ladybug forever. 

_ No, _ he decided firmly.  _ She does not need that stress on her shoulders. She already is suffering enough. More stress would do her no good, maybe even lessen her chances of winning. And if she were caught cheating, she could be put to death. He wouldn’t put it past his father to do that to her.  _

With sad eyes, he watched her disappear from the window. He held back the idea of chasing after her and turned away. He had a job to do and didn’t need to be distracted by a beautiful, brave, and smart girl. 

After taking a deep breath, Chat Noir took off across the rooftops, heading toward the Game Master’s secret lair. It was in one of the Capital’s government buildings, which didn’t surprise him much. The Game Master was creating a government project, after all. 

Stopping on the roof of the government building, Chat wrapped his arms around himself. Not only was it a little chilly, but the thought that his father, Gabriel Agreste, had actually approved of the Miraculous Games sent shivers down his spine. His own father had hired someone to create a death trap for a bunch of  _ kids _ . That had to be against some sort of law. But it wasn’t against just any kids, he was going to put Ladybug in there. 

Would he be able to stop what inevitably was going to happen?

Setting his jaw, Chat separated himself from the situation. He was not Adrien in this costume. He was Chat Noir, protector, guardian, and spy for the Charms. He had a legacy of protection to uphold. He would not have any of them suffer for him, or at least, his public-seen side.  _ Adrien _ could not get hurt.  _ Chat Noir, _ on the other hand, was created for the purpose of protecting the Charms. 

Though he may have been the heir to the country, he was not like his father. He cared about his people and was willing to throw himself in harm's way for them. Chat Noir represented that side of Adrien, and Chat Noir deserved the utmost respect for that. 

Chat, after preparing himself, pulled out his staff and jumped down into the alley below. He crept into the building, found the painting of the gold women and side table, and made his way into the Game Master’s lair. 

Luckily, nobody was home. Though still keeping his staff in hand, Chat walked toward the main console. 

The Game Master had been creating the Miraculous Arena for the past few months, and Chat had been keeping an eye on him. He had a picture of every draft of the arena, and when a change was made, he would update his information. Overtime, Chat had created his own personal map of the arena. He knew where every danger hid, trap was set, and resources were found. And, as a bonus, he knew every mistake. He knew how to get in and out through secret areas that would not be patrolled or would even be believed to exist. 

Glancing around cautiously, Chat opened up the arena’s plans. He raised his staff and took a quick picture. Looked like another lake and pond had been added to the south side. 

This year’s Miraculous Arena was not particularly evil like it’s previous brothers and sisters. Some had taken place in giant cities, others in deserted deserts, but this year’s was a simple forest with a few lakes, trees, and some mountain caves. Chat had no doubt Ladybug would kill the competition. 

He just hoped not literally. 

He knew how he could get in and out of the arena, but what he really worried about were the Charms. There weren’t many resource areas, such as food or weapons. The arena may have been a forest, but most of the trees were maples, birches, pines, and pretty much any other tree that did not bear fruit. 

Chat made a split second decision. Logging into the holographic computer, he quickly made a change to one tree, one single tree that stood behind a giant boulder.

_ That should help it go unnoticed, _ he thought.

Behind him, he heard the painting open. Chat panicked. He quickly shut down the holographic computer, tucked his staff away, then launched himself into the rafters. 

Chat held his breath as the Game Master strolled up to the exact same spot he had stood merely moments before. The small of his back began to sweat.

_ Please don’t notice, please don’t notice the tree, _ he silently pleaded. 

He stayed there for a good long hour, watching the Game Master develop the Cataclysmacopia. He did not notice that one tree hidden away, the tree that Chat knew would save lives as well as bring hope to the Charms. 

Slipping out of the room without being seen, Chat Noir’s heart was soaring. Maybe through the small and simple things, he could save the people who were risking their lives for him. 

And maybe, just maybe, it could save Ladybug. 

*** * ***

Marinette tossed and turned in her bed. The night was slowly ticking on, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fall asleep. It was as if the charm gods were frowning down upon her, forcing her to lose valuable sleep. 

With an undignified puff, she ended up flopping on her back to stare up at the ceiling. Stars sparkled across the hologram ceiling tiles, no doubt there to help her sleep, yet they were doing the opposite effect. They were keeping her up. 

She had been laying there for hours, dreading for the next morning to roll around. She wasn’t ready to face the other Charms in the training room and, much less, ready to fight them. Would she have to kill them or only disarm them somehow? Maybe she would figure that out in the morning when they went to practice their skills. 

Did she even have any skills? Marinette could bake and draw, but that was pretty much it. Though PE had been required, she had never enjoyed it. Man, she despised running. She had a feeling she would have to get used to it. If she were to survive this ordeal, she had to be in shape. That reasoning pushed her down another trail of thought. 

Nathanael. 

They were just friends, right? After all, he was there to support her and vice versa, but the dance really had thrown that off for her. Did he like her? And, more importantly, did she like him back? 

Marinette couldn’t help but think of how kind he was to her when they had first been chosen. She had seen him around school and town, but being in the same ordeal together really had, well, pushed them to a new level of friendship. Was she okay what that? 

Rubbing her eyes, Marinette decided that she was just being overly dramatic about the whole deal. He was probably just there being a friend and that her chances of being with Adrien were just as high as Nathanael getting a high-class job. She just needed to take each thing one step at a time. 

First on the list: sleep. Sadly, she was even failing at that. 

She sighed, giving up all hope of actually drifting off to dreamland. Not even the thought of being with Adrien would get her to fall asleep, so she might as well get up and do something productive. Pushing the sheets away, Marinette swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got to her feet. The carpet was so soft under her toes, she let a small smile tickle her lips. She couldn’t wait to tell her family about her experiences. They wouldn’t believe her if she told them that the carpet was made from the finest materials, but it was. 

Making her way toward the door, Marinette pulled a robe over her PJs in order to keep herself warm and modest. After all, she was only wearing shorts and a tank top. Wouldn’t want anyone stumbling into her rummaging through the fridge for ice cream and that sort of attire. 

Marinette walked into the kitchen, the hardwood floors giving her feet a very drastic difference in comfort. She hopped over to the fridge, trying as much as possible not to have her feet stay on the cold floor for longer than she had to. Why hadn’t she just grabbed some slippers? 

As she was thinking about the fluffy bunnies that had been waiting in her closet while digging in the fridge for the milk, something crashed behind her. Marinette squeaked and whorled around. She threw her hands up to protect herself, milk jug and all, but she realized then that she was face to face with Nathanael. His red hair was an unruly mess, sticking out in all directions, and he too had a robe on, only his was orange while Marinette’s was pink. 

“What are you doing up?” Marinette questioned. 

Nathan shrugged, walking into the light of the fridge. “I could ask the same thing of you.” 

Sighing, Marinette placed the milk jug on the counter and turned back to the fridge. “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided I would make myself a snack.” 

“Really? What are you making?” 

“I was thinking either a smoothie or some sort of cookie.” 

Nathanael smiled, sitting in one of the bar stools that lined one side of the kitchen island. “I think that cookies would take too long. It’s already three in the morning, anyways.” 

Marinette spread her free hand while the other held a bowl of grapes to set next to the milk. “I could probably whip up some real fast, but you’re right. With training tomorrow, I also don’t want to be slowed down the sugar.” 

“Clever,” Nathan remarked. 

“That’s what I thought.” 

The pair exchanged a small smile before Marinette turned away to pull out apples, peaches, and other various fruits that they could put into their smoothie mixture. 

“So,” Nathanael started, rubbing the back of his neck, “what do you think you’re going to practice at training tomorrow?” 

Marinette didn’t respond for a long time. She continued to pile fruits into the blender at the far end of the kitchen. In the small light from the fridge, Marinette felt like she was talking to a ghost. Would answering him make her feel any better? They were a team, after all. 

“Well,” she finally said, “I was thinking about trying the ropes course. I feel like I need to work on my flexibility. What about you?” She swiveled her head to look at him. He was nodding at her answer. 

“That’s a clever choice. Honestly, I wanted to see if I could work on my camouflaging. My dad taught me a few things about painting, so I was thinking about practicing that, but only on myself. Who knows, it might save my life.” He gave her a weak smile. 

Marinette realized something about Nathanael in that moment: he was scared. More scared than she was, and that was saying a lot. She imagined what his gameplan was. It probably was along the lines of trying to stay hidden in plain sight before attacking his enemy. Still, that was risky, if that was his actual plan. They hadn’t talked much about how they were going to work together as a team, but she hoped that the more she got to know him, more he would feel comfortable around her. 

“That sounds like a really smart concept,” Marinette complimented.

He nodded but didn’t say much else. Taking that as a cue to turn on the machine, Marinette pushed the blending button. The milk, ice, and fruit all were chopped up into tiny, pureed pieces while the blender roared like an insane psychopath. 

Once it was done, however, and Marinette was pouring some of the contents into glasses, Nathanael finally spoke up. 

“Marinette, how are we going to show our audience that we love each other?” 

She froze, a glob of smoothie dropping into one of the glasses with a plunk. She hadn’t thought about that. 

“W-well,” she choked out, then cleared her throat. “I think a good way to start out would be to stay by each other and kind of do the same things. After that, we can start extending it to hand holding and maybe the exchanging of dreamy looks.” She picked up one of the smoothies and was about to walk over to give it to him, but as she turned, she almost ran into Nathanael. She jumped in surprise and was lucky enough that he caught the smoothie cup that had almost hit the floor. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he apologized rapidly, his face turning bright red. “And I think that your idea is brilliant. When should we start?” 

With a nervous swallow forced down her throat, Marinette quickly tried to pull her composure back together. “I think we should begin the domino effect in training today. It might give the signal clearly to the other Charms and the audience.”

And that audience included Adrien… 

Nathanael nodded, then looked into her eyes. “You’ve been really supportive, Marinette. I don’t think I can thank you enough for that.” 

She gave him a weak smile. “I’m happy to. After all, it may save both of our lives.” 

Nathanael appeared as though he wanted to say more, but he forced his lips into a smile and raised his glass. 

“To luck?” 

Nodding, Marinette raised her glass as well and clinked their glasses in cheers. 

“To luck.” 


	8. Chapter Eight:

##  **Chapter Eight:**

 

Marinette’s heart pounded against her chest as she, and the rest of the Charms, advanced toward the training room. Chloe was blabbing her mouth off with her friend Sabrina and any of the other Charms who could stand to listen to her. It did little to help her growing anxiety.

Nathanael squeezed her hand. They had started to hold hands as soon as they had left their designated floor in the building and still had not let go. She glanced over at him and saw understanding in his eyes. He knew what she was feeling probably because he was having the same reaction. They were about to enter the snake pit of death.

Guards opened the doors at the end of the hallway. The Charms filed inside, and once Marinette was beyond the threshold, she was engulfed by the room’s vast space.

Above her, monkey bars and a ropes course hung from the ceiling. The sight of it terrified her a little bit, but everything else in the room really pushed her fear to the next level. To the left along the wall, stations had been set up. One had multiple fire pits, another had a climbing wall, and so on and so forth of other training activities down the line. To the right of the room, however, was completely different. Along the bottom, there were all kinds of weapons stacked on racks -- swords, bow and arrows, spears, pretty much anything a murderer could ask for.

If that wasn’t nerve-wracking enough, above the weapons, a balcony looked out over the whole room. On that balcony stood the one and only Adrien Agreste himself. Even under his obviously reserved gaze, Marinette was mentally screaming.

No, no, no! Adrien could not see her fail!

She searched the box for President Gabriel Agreste. She didn’t see him standing anywhere, but she did notice a tablet in Adrien’s arms. That must have been him.

The Charms all stopped in front of a wrestling mat that was laid out in the center of the training room. On the mat, an old Chinese man sat in a yoga position. He had on a red Hawaiian shirt and tan cargo pants. His shoes were simple enough, just plain brown sandals. His hair, mustache, and goatee were the things that kinda pushed that ‘chinese’ aspect of him over the top. Marinette did notice a turtle bracelet on his right wrist.

Scoffing, Chloe put her hands on her hips as she looked the man up and down. “Who are you?”

He didn’t say anything. He continued to sit motionlessly.

“Yoo-hoo? Old man?” She called, waving her hand in front of his fast. Still, no response.

“Is he dead?” One Charm asked. Kim, the one who had been represented by an eagle.

Sabrina circled the Chinese man cautiously. “Seems like it.”

“He can’t be dead,” Nathanael insisted. Chloe turned to rebuke him, but then saw him and Marinette’s intertwined hands. She raised an eyebrow. Before she could make a comment, Marinette pulled her hand away.

“I agree with Nathan. He’s probably just asleep.” Making her way to the front of the group, she knelt down in front the man and put a hand on his shoulder. “Excuse me? Sir?”

The man opened his eyes and gave her a proud grin.

“Bonjour, Ladybug.”

Marinette was taken aback. “H-how did you-”

“I know each of you.” He scanned the charms, his brown and wrinkled eyes watching each of them closely. “Hello, Eagle, Snake, Fox, Hummingbird, and,” he looked directly at Chloe, “Queen Bee.”

Chloe flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder. “Finally, someone who sees me as a queen.”

“Who would?” Marinette muttered under her breath.

The old man smiled at her then got to his feet, using a cane to help him.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” he said. “My name is Master Fu.”

The Charms were silent, until -- no surprise -- Chloe spoke up.

“ _You’re_ our trainer?”

He eyed her. “Yes, Queen Bee.”

“Do you have a problem with that?” Nathan asked. Chloe rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything.

Master Fu scanned the group of 24 Charms as if picking out the weaklings. Under his gaze, Marinette felt a little squeamish. What was he planning to do with them?

“So far, only two of you have passed the first test,” he stated simply.

Whispers spread through the group. Test? What test? Ironically, one of the girls from the back had asked that same question.

Master Fu smiled, he knew something the others didn’t.

“You will all figure it out soon enough. Now, let’s begin.” Pointing at each Charm in turn, he assigned them to different stations. Marinette and Nathanael were the last ones to be assigned. Master Fu smiled at the two of them.

“You two get a very special opportunity.” He gestured with his cane to the rack of weapons. “Choose your weapon, and choose wisely. It will be the thing that will protect you the most.”

Marinette blinked. “But we were told that nobody would die this year.”

Master Fu’s expression changed into something that Marinette couldn’t read very well. Was it shock? Pride? Unsurety?

“That is up to you. Until then, prepare yourself. You never know what you will face in the Arena.”

Marinette, out of the corner of her eye, saw Nathanael swallow nervously. That wasn’t a good sign. If Nathanael was scared, there was a good reason for it.

Master Fu gestured to the racks once more. “You may be scared,” he said quietly. “It’s not against the rules to be, but don’t let it take over you. Strive with an open heart and mind and you will succeed. Push through your fear and embrace the opportunity.”

Setting her jaw, Marinette stood up straighter. She held out her hand, extending it to Nathan. Without question, he took it.

Marinette’s strength was renewed. If she had someone by her side, she could so anything -- anything and everything.

*** * ***

For the next few days, Adrien watched the Charms train. His father had ordered that he should do so, and there was no escaping that, so Adrien embraced it.

At first, it had felt like a punishment, but the more he stayed, the more he began to enjoy rooting for the Charms. Besides, it was always interesting to watch “Queen Bee” Chloe get beat up by “Eagle” Kim or “Snake” Ivan. It was cool to watch the Charms wrestle, make fires, scramble up the climbing wall, and even spider crawl through the ropes course.

Their trainer, Master Fu, was an interesting character to watch as well. Though he seemed old and couldn’t move very well, he was surprisingly agile. He could catch Charms as they fell from the monkey bars. He would sprint, catch them, then set them on their feet and walk away like it was no big deal. Adrien had always found those times entertaining.

He did have his eye most repeatedly on one person, though. Sure, the other Charms were awesome, but none compared to “Ladybug” Marinette.

In the beginning, she had been falling left and right. She couldn’t shoot a bow, climb a tree, or even tie a knot. As the days passed, however, she had become remarkably good at all of the above.

He also noticed that she was incredibly close to the “Fox” Charm. What was his name? Daniel? Nathan? Nathanael, that was it. Marinette seemed to be friends with him, but he sensed that maybe Nathanael wanted it to be something more. Did Adrien even stand a chance?

His favorite thing to watch Marinette do was combat fight and wrestle. With any weapon, she could take someone down on the wrestling mat. Day one, she got bruises, but by day four, she was giving them. She was so amazing that-

“Adrien.” Natalie had walked out onto the balcony without him noticing. “Your father is here to speak with you.”

That made him quickly get to his feet and straighten his posture. President Agreste stepped out onto the luxury balcony, looking around the training room, then at his son.

“How long have you been sitting here?” He asked sharply.

Adrien lowered his head. “About an hour and a half.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. He walked to the edge of the balcony, resting one hand on the railing. He studied the Charms with a harsh gaze.

“You’re not picking favorites, are you?”

Adrien swallowed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “No, why do you ask?”

President Agreste looked over at his son suspiciously. “Obviously, one does not come to watch Charms train for hours on end if that certain person does not have any interest in someone. I may require you to watch the Charms train, but not for hours.”

“Yes, Father…” he eventually replied, trying to not to sound aggravated or disappointed.

“I want you out in public in one hour, do you understand?” His father asked seriously.

Bowing his head, Adrien responded: “Yes.”

“Good.” President Agreste was about to leave, but he turned back. “And Adrien, no picking favorites.”

Then, he was gone.

Adrien looked out at Marinette taking down the “Eagle” Charm on the mat. If he couldn’t choose favorites, Chat Noir would.


	9. Chapter Nine:

##  **Chapter Nine:**

 

“Gather round!” Juleka called. “Alec is about to announce your scores to the country!” 

Marinette and Nathanael both looked up from their food as Rose turned on the TV. The two designers had been invited to come eat dinner with the two Charms in honor of the broadcasting. Marinette had to admit, it had been very lonely without the two of them. 

“Am I allowed to bring my food in there?” Nathanael questioned. When neither of the girls answered, he shrugged at Marinette and picked up his plate, walking into the living room and plopping on the couch. 

Marinette bit her lip, glancing down at her own food. It was untouched. She was so nervous. It had been about two weeks into training when Master Fu had decided that they were ready to be tested and scored. Luckily, she hadn’t fallen off of the climbing wall, which what she had been the most worried about. Now, after receiving the scores from all the other Charms, Alec and Mrs. Chamach were ready to share the numbers with the country. 

The national anthem played in the living room as the broadcast began. 

“Welcome, everyone, to the reporting of the Charm’s scores!” Alec announced, his voice way too happy to have been realistically believable. “We’re going to start with our first district and work our way down the line.” 

Mrs. Chamach pulled out several envelopes, each stamped with the Agreste crest. She opened the first one. 

“Chloe Bourgeois, five.” 

“Yikes,” Rose muttered. “For being scored out of twelve, that’s not very good.”

Marinette couldn’t help but smile. If she could get better than Chloe, she would be eternally grateful. Hopefully, her hard work had beaten Chloe’s half-effort. They continued to read off the scores. Kim, nine. Ivan, seven. Alix, six. Sabrina, seven. 

Finally, they got to the last two envelopes. Marinette and Nathanael were on the edge of their seats, staring at the screen. They both held their breaths. 

Please be higher than a five, she pleaded for Nathanael. Please, please, please. 

Mrs. Chamach ripped the flap open, pulling out the slip of paper. 

“Nathanael, eight.” 

Juleka and Rose smiled, patting his shoulders happily. 

“That’s a great score,” Juleka complimented. Nathanael was beaming with pride. He looked back at Marinette and gave her a confident thumbs up.

With his score having been said, that only meant that the last envelope was Marinette’s score. She began to sweat. She could feel the droplets roll down the back of her neck, causing the neckline to become slightly damp. 

Mrs. Chamach opened the final flap. Unfolding the paper, her eyebrows shot up in shock. 

Oh no, it’s horrible! Marinette panicked. I’m going to be sent home to face my family because I sucked so bad! I’m never going to get a job, much less my dream job, and I’ll have to live on the streets. My parents will disown me and hate me for the rest of my life and Alya will never want to be around me ever again. OH NO! I’ll never get to be with Adrien!

Mrs. Chamach glanced at Alec as if looking for reassurance, then cleared her throat. 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, eleven.” 

The room erupted. Rose and Juleka both cheered, running to her and enveloping her in a giant group hug. 

“You did it! Marinette, you did it!” Rose celebrated. 

Marinette sat in total shock. Nathanael gazed at her from the couch, giving her the biggest smile she had ever seen. She couldn’t help but give him a relieved smile in return. 

Mrs. Chamach turned to Alec. “Have we ever had a score that high?” 

Alec rubbed his chin. “I do believe so, but only once in the entire history of the Miraculous Games.” 

*** * ***

Adrien stared at the screen, a ridiculous grin sprawled across his face. He knew Marinette could do it. Her eleven didn’t surprise him one bit. She had worked so hard and had come so far in the past two weeks. 

“Have we ever had a score that high?” Mrs. Chamach questioned. 

Adrien watched as Alec rubbed his chin. “I do believe so, but only once in the entire history of the Miraculous Games.” 

Next to Adrien at the head of the table, President Agreste stiffened. He watched in confusion as his father glared at the screen as if daring Alec to say more. It was an expression Adrien didn’t dare want to cross, but his curiosity got the best of him. 

“Father?” He asked. “Is something wrong with Marinette’s score?” 

His father silently got to his feet, but before he left the room, he looked back at Adrien. His eyes were harsh and cold, but Adrien had a feeling that the coldness was trying to hide deeper feelings. 

“I do not want you near that Miss Dupain-Cheng, are we clear?” 

“But Father--”

“Are we clear?” His father shouted. 

Bowing his head, Adrien nodded. “Yes, Father…” 

The President left, shutting the door firmly behind him. Adrien slumped back against his chair, longingly looking up at the broadcast. Pictures of the Charms in their costumes were lined up in a ranking style. Up at the top was the stunningly beautiful and strong Ladybug. 

Adrien was supposed to stay away from Ladybug, but Chat Noir wasn’t. Chat was a free spirit. He could visit her whenever he wanted. Why couldn’t Adrien have that same ability? 

*** * ***

Marinette stood on the rooftop of the Charm’s housing building. The night air was cold, but a warm breeze tickled the hair on her arms. Her hair was a rats nest from tossing and turning in her bed. Her number kept spinning around in her head. She could still hear Alec saying it. 

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Eleven. 

Eleven. 

Even though Nathanael’s Eight was impressive, and she was happy for him, she couldn’t help but feel a little proud. Then again, she had been given way too much credit. The testing had been fairly simple, after all. Climb this, fight that, shoot those. Had her hard work paid off? Or… 

Her thoughts flashed back to the viewing balcony. As the two weeks had progressed, Adrien had ever so slowly started to stay longer to watch the Charms train. Though it sounded kinda stalkerish, Marinette had noticed every girl he watched. Alix was one of them, along with Sabrina and Chloe. 

Ugh, that “Queen Bee” made her want to puke. 

And then… there was her. Logically speaking, Marinette had a chance to win, but Adrien hadn’t even given her a second glance. How was she going to have a relationship with him, if she won if he didn’t even notice her? The dance had been one thing, but was that just because she was all dressed up and he was obliged to talk to her? Was that a bad sign? Was she not good enough? Did she not--

“Well, hello.” 

Marinette squeaked and spun around, her hands balled up in fists in order to deck whoever had scared her. A black figure was crouched on the edge of the building. Furrowing her eyebrows, Marinette studied the figure. It was a young man with disheveled blonde hair, but everything else he wore gave her no clues as to who he was. He was wearing a black leather jacket, dark wash jeans, combat boots, leather gloves, and a black belt that blew in the breeze behind him. High-tech ears stuck out of his head, flicking in every direction, and a silver cylinder was tucked in his left hand. What caught Marinette’s attention the most, though, were the sharp green eyes that glinted through a black cloth mask. 

“W-who are you?” She stuttered, taking a more defensive position. 

The black figure smiled. “The guy of your dreams.” 

Marinette couldn’t help but snort. “Yeah, sure. I just met a guy dressed in black in the dark and I totally agree with his judgment.” 

“Allow me to introduce myself, then.” The figure jumped forward, doing a somersault in mid-air before landing in front of her hand bowing sarcastically. “The name’s Chat Noir.” He took her hand and kissed it. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady.” 

Pulling away a little shocked, Marinette popped a hip. “Alright, Chat Noir, if you’re going to play with childish charm, you might as well know who I am.” 

Chat smiled and straightened. “Oh, but I do. You’re the  _ purr _ -fect Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” She froze, a little scared of what he would say next. Realizing that he had frightened her, his eyes widened and Chat tried to correct himself. “I-I wasn’t spying on you or anything, I swear! It’s just, you’re all over the media, being a Charm and all.” 

“Oh. Yeah, it’s kinda a curse,” Marinette muttered, rubbing her arm. 

“I know what it’s like,” Chat agreed, his voice soft enough that Marinette had barely heard him. Before she could ask what he meant, he continued. “Anyway, I wanted to stop by and give you some support. This whole thing is probably driving you up the wall, huh?”

Marinette was quiet for a long moment. She turned away and leaned against the edge of the rooftop railing, looking out at the buildings of the city. “I dunno, Chat… Part of me wants to be here while the other is lodged back at home with my family and friends.” 

Taking cautious steps forward, Chat walked up next to her. His green eyes were cast down at his hands as he rested on the railing. 

“What’s your family like?” He asked softly. 

Marinette couldn’t help but let a small smile twitch at the corner of her lips. “I wouldn’t be able to choose the perfect words to describe my parents. They’ve always supported me in my endeavors, even if it doesn’t match what they wanted for my future. They roll with my Marinette punches. My best friend, Alya, is the same way…” The thought of her friend made the small smile fade away. “I miss them, but I have a job to do here.” She turned to look at Chat. “Do you know what that’s like, oh mysterious boy in the cat mask?” 

He didn’t look up at her even though she had made a joke. “Marinette,” he replied, his voice barely a whisper, “I know we have just met, but I want to tell you something.” Sighing, he hung his head lower and closed his eyes. “I know exactly what you’re talking about. For the past little while, I’ve wanted to go out and chase my dreams, but I feel like I have re-paw-sibilities on my shoulders.” He smirked at his pun but it didn’t last long. It soon faded away into the determination in his voice. “I want to let you know that I will be there to protect you whenever you need me, okay?” 

Marinette studied him, confusion taking over her features. “What do you mean?” 

“I said what I meant and I meant what I said.” Looking up at her, Marinette didn’t need to see the smile on his lips. His eyes smiled told her he was beaming. “Chat Noir’s faithful one-hundred percent.” 

“Oh, so you’re my savior now?” 

Chuckling, he looked back out at the skyline. “If that’s what my lady wants me to be, I will gladly take on that role.” 

Marinette faced him. “Why do you call me that? We just met.” 

“Because someone very close to me told me that bad things were coming. He told me that he wanted you safe, so voila, here I am.” He looked at her and held up a fist. Marinette was puzzled for a minute but soon figured it out. She gave him the fist pump he was looking for. 

“Pound it.” 


	10. Chapter Ten:

##  **Chapter Ten:**

 

The lights flashed in the audience, sending them into a roaring mass. The excitement in the room was as tangible as a lion. The yellows, greens, and blues that represented the Animal theme ignited on the stage just before the spotlights were focused on Alec. He wore his giraffe costume, smiling at the audience like he was their parent. 

“It’s time to introduce our Charms!” He announced. 

The crowd was thrown into a tizzy, applauding and cheering so loud, it shook the seats. 

The cheers of the crowd were ringing in Marinette’s ears. She stood backstage next to Nathanael, holding his arm like a child's floaty. With his free hand, he rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. Her thoughts were running wild, trying to make her hike up her dress and run. As hard as Jukela and Rose worked on her new ladybug dress, Marinette was this close to ripping it off and running back to her room. 

“Hey,” Nathan whispered, pulling one of the curls out of her face. “Let’s not panic, okay?” 

Marinette realized she was gripping his arm so tightly, his fingers were going purple. She let go just enough to slip her hand into his. His copper suit definitely did not match her red dress. The suit did look good on him, though. It fit him perfectly, even with the coattails that were tipped with white. At least they matched the fox ears in his hair, which were also tipped with white.

“S-sorry,” she stuttered. 

He smiled at her. “You’re going to do great, Mari. Just look at Alec and answer the questions honestly. Besides, it’s not as bad as you think it’s going to be.” 

“How do you know? What if I trip and fall on my face again? What if I accidently swear in front of everyone? What if everyone hates me?” Her mind ran faster. “What if I ruin Alec’s suit? What if my parents disown me?” She gasped. “What about Adrien?! He’s going to see me fail and he’s going to hate me and he’ll never want to--”

Nathanael clamped his hand over her mouth. “Marinette, calm down. You’re going to do just fine.” 

She pulled his hand away from her lips. “You might think that, but I--” 

She was cut off again, but not by Nathanael this time. It was by Chloe’s laughter. 

“Sounds like Loser-Ladybug is losing her cool! Ha ha!” 

Next to the Queen Bee, her friend Hummingbird laughed along at the joke. Marinette clenched her teeth, glaring at Chloe. 

“I’m going to kick her butt so hard that she’ll have a stinger stuck up her rear end.” 

Nathanael chuckled, fixing Marinette’s ladybug headband antennae. “I’d pay to see that, but we can’t fight back here. We’ll get in trouble.” 

Grumbling, Marinette sent Chloe one last look of death before Alec started calling Charm’s names to join him on stage. Chloe was the first to go out with Sabrina on deck, which was a relief. Marinette turned her attention to the TV screen that had been set up backstage for the charms to watch their fellow competitor's interview. 

Chloe strutted out across the stage like a princess. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a ratted ponytail with an intricate braid starting at the front of her head and running through the ponytail. A silver headband decorated with black and white diamonds was set beautifully in her perfect hair. 

Her dress was sleek and form fitted, perfectly framing her curved hips. It was made of yellow satin with a sweetheart neckline that clearly was meant to tempt. Across her waist, three ‘V’ shapes were created with black strips of lace. As she spun to show off her magnificent dress, Marinette noticed that it was cinched in the back with a corset. Overall, it was a very Chloe “Queen Bee” dress. 

“Hello, Queen Bee.” Alec bowed, then gestured to the interviewer seat. “Might I just say you look quite stunning in that dress of yours.” 

Yup, that sweetheart neckline was getting to him. 

“I know,” Chloe gushed. “My designers designed it just the way I wanted!” She did a dramatic hair flip and that was when Marinette was done watching her. 

“When do we go on?” Marinette asked Nathanael.

He shrugged. “You go before me, that’s all I know.” 

And so the waiting game began. Charm after charm waltzed out onto the stage. 

Hummingbird Sabrina was another one the fan favorites. Her dress was stunning, a sea foam green with a bateau neckline. Her bust sparkled with blue and green gems that showered down the folds of the ballgown style dress. A thick green ribbon wrapped around her waist before the satin flared out. What was so different about her dress was the ruffle sash tied to her wrist. When she walked out across the stage, it dragged behind her like an elegant swan. 

When Alec welcomed her, she brushed her loosely curled bangs out of her face and gave the crowd a winning smile. Chloe had taught her well. 

Eagle Kim was a crowd favorite, his hair probably getting more love than his personality. His suit was pretty impressive and it made Marinette want to talk to the designers. How had they sewed all of those feathers on the charcoal gray suit so intricately?

Finally, it was time for her to go out. 

“And now we welcome Ladybug Marinette!” 

Taking a deep breath, she plastered on the biggest smile she could muster. She walked out to meet Alec in the center of the stage, her black and white heels clicking on the stage. The crowd roared in approval of what they saw and Marinette couldn’t help but feel like a princess. In her mind’s eye, she could see herself standing herself in front of a mirror. She had loved her dress as soon as Juleka made her put it on. As she looked up at the thousands of TV screens with her on them, she really could take in the beauty of the dress as a whole. 

It was a deep wine red that draped all the way to the floor. A very slight sweetheart neckline decorated with black lace covered her bust while elegant, tight sleeves ran down to her wrists. The dress was tight-fitting until it hit her waist, where cinched red satin flowed out freely. Spotted throughout the flowing fabric, small black sequins sparkled in the spotlight. They were grouped together to make bigger spots, resembling a ladybug. 

Her shiny black hair tumbled over her shoulders in delicate curls, pinned back with bobby pins and a headband, which was decorated with small antennae. 

Alec oohed and aahed along with the rest of the crowd. 

“Give us a twirl!” He insisted, twirling his finger. Marinette blushed but did as she was instructed. She spun on her heels, her dress swirling around her like a choppy red sea. The black sequins sparkled in the spotlights. More oohs and aahs from the audience. 

“That is a gorgeous dress! One of my favorites, that’s for sure.” 

Marinette smiled. “Thank you, Alec. I love your suit, too.” 

It was Alec’s turn to blush. He straightened his suit coat. “Well, thank you very much. You’re the first to say that to me.”

“You deserve it,” Marinette assured. “Not many people can pull off giraffe print.” 

Alec chuckled, the crowd joining in. “Enough about me. We’re here to talk about you. Have a seat and we can begin the interview.” He gestured to the padded white seat next to his. Marinette sat, still trying to plaster a confident smile on her face. 

“Now, for our first question, what’s your full name and district occupation?” 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and my parents and I run a bakery in our district.” 

“Ooh! Looks like we’ve got a cook in our games!” Alec admitted. 

Marinette laughed. “I could make some killer cupcakes, Alec.” 

“Oh, trying to tempt my vote, are you?”

Marinette spread her hands but didn’t say anything, which caused laughter from the audience. Alec pulled another card from his stack of questions. 

“Ah, this is a good one. What do you think of Adrien Agreste?” 

Her face flushed. “W-well,” she stuttered, hunching her shoulders self-consciously, “if I am to be completely honest, I have to say that he has the most stunning green eyes.” The crowd catcalled and whistled. There was no way to hide her blushing, so she started to nervously babble. “I’ve only seen him in person once, which doesn’t give me a lot of say on what he’s like, but he’s sweet. He has a lot of confidence and seems really reserved.” 

“Sounds like you’ve hit him on the dot to me. Next question!” Alec moved on, which stopped her from making a bigger fool of herself. She was thankful for that. 

“How many family members do you have?” 

“Three, me and my parents.” 

Alec leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “Do your parents support your decision to be here?” 

That question threw her a little bit. Why was he asking her that?

“Yes,” she responded almost immediately. “Before I left, they visited me and told me that they were proud of that I had stood up.” 

“Who was that little girl you stood up for again?” Alec asked. “Wasn’t it Mrs. Chamach’s daughter?” 

“Yes, it was.” Marinette hesitated, fingering her dress nervously before she continued. “I was babysitting her at the time with my friend Alya while Mrs. Chamach was preparing the Lucky Charm Choosing in our district.” Behind her, pictures and videos of her standing up for Manon played across the screen. Marinette pressed forward with her story. “Hearing that this year was different than years previous was a shock at first, but I had no plans to volunteer until…” She trailed off. The crowd’s focus did not move from her frame. The weight of their gaze began to bother Marinette, but she tried to continue. 

“When Manon’s name was called by you, Alec, I knew that something needed to be done. Her crying and Mrs. Chamach’s pleading was the only thing playing in my head. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. Before I knew what happened, I was volunteering for her.” 

Seriousness blanketed over Marinette, Alec, and the rest of the crowd. Alec leaned forward. 

“Do you regret that lucky choosing, Miss Dupain-Cheng?” 

Everyone held their breath. 

Marinette sat up taller. “I would never go back and change my decision.” She lowered her chin and gave Alec a serious look. She had made a choice, and she was not backing down. “I can tell you, and everyone here, that I have no powers of luck. I don’t believe in it. Luck does not exist in my world. Determination and good works are the real superpowers that help me.” Marinette turned her attention to the audience. “Instead of believing that I was luckily chosen by some sort of bowl, I like to believe that I made the decision to stand up for Manon Chamach. Instead of believing that one of the charms has more ‘luck’ than the others, let’s open our eyes to their attributes.” 

Marinette got to her feet, gesturing to backstage. “Each charm that has walked off this stage all have amazing talents. I’ve been working with them for the past two weeks. Through that experience, I can tell you that each and every one has something spectacular to give our country.

“Sabrina is clever, always able to find an answer to a difficult problem, just like a hummingbird. 

“Kim has courage -- undeniable courage. Though he may be nervous about doing something, he can push past that and do amazing acts of bravery. I’d say that is very eagle worthy. 

“Ivan is one of the most humble people I know. He may make a mistake, but he learns from it, as a snake would.” 

Smirking, Marinette thought of the lovely Queen Bee.  _ I can’t believe I’m going to say this. _

“Chloe is a very hard worker. It may not seem like it at first, but when she has a goal, she will do anything to reach it. I think a ‘queen’ bee represents that better than anything else.

“Alix has a bucketful of guts. She can do things other people wouldn’t ever dream of trying. To me, that sounds like a pretty awesome panther.

“And finally, the boy who's been by my side this entire time, Nathanael. He is so kind and thoughtful, always looking out for me.” She smiled to herself. “He’s been the person who has kept me sane through all of this chaos.” 

Looking out over the crowd, and at Alec, Marinette held her ground as she spoke. 

“I don’t know who will win this year’s Miraculous Games, but I don’t think it matters. What does matter, instead, is what these games teach us. So far, I’ve learned that, though I may be terrified of what may happen, I will uphold the mantle I have chosen to take on.” Locking her gaze straight into the nearest camera, she let her next words be spoken, not to just the entire country, but to two individual people.

“President Agreste,” she stated firmly, “you have the most amazing citizens, and I want to congratulate you on your success. I hope we, as Charms, represent you well.” She paused, gathering her thoughts before she let her words come out. “Adrien, remember that you have a choice in this too.” Marinette tucked her hands behind her back and bowed. 

The crowd gasped in shock. Alec stared in disbelief at her perfect form. No one spoke as she uprighted herself. Had she broken an unspoken rule?

“Thank you for your generosity,” she thanked. She smiled at Alec. “Do you have any more questions?” 

He stared at her as if she was a three-headed monster. Snapping himself back into reality, he cleared his throat and got to his feet. 

“N-no, I think that is all the time that we have. Thank you, Ladybug.” 

The crowd erupted into applause as she walked toward the backstage. Marinette took an unsteady breath. What had she just done? Everyone had stared at her like she was some sort of crazy, mutated creature. Did she say something wrong? It felt like she had done the right thing. Was she wrong?

Nathanael stood at the edge of the curtain. Marinette couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were moist with tears. He watched her come closer, and as she approached him, he ran toward her and engulfed her in a hug. 

“Marinette,” he whispered, “you really are a superhero.” 

Her eyes began to water. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. He was right, she had done the right thing. 


	11. Chapter Eleven:

##  **Chapter Eleven:**

 

Adrien’s father gripped the armrests of his chair so tightly, Adrien could hear the leather fabric ripping. Though he was scared of what his father might do on the outside, he was jumping up in down with joy on the inside. He wanted to turn around, throw his arms around Nino, and swing him around. 

Marinette, you are the best charm ever!

“Natalie,” President Agreste snapped. His secretary was by his side in less than a second. “I want a fresh cup of earl gray tea on my desk in five minutes.” 

“Yes, sir.” She disappeared. 

President Agreste turned to look at his son. Adrien met his gaze. There was no hiding the hatred his father felt toward Ladybug, and in return, Adrien couldn’t hide his euphoria toward her. After several minutes of just the two staring at one another, President Agreste got to his feet. 

“Nino, send Adrien to his room and do not let him leave.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“B-but Father, what did I do-”

“You will not leave that room, understood?” His father’s eyes bore holes into Adrien’s heart, leaving him no choice but to agree. Adrien gave a defeated nod. As his father left the room, Nino came to his side. His friend touched his arm, but Adrien pulled it away. 

“Don’t touch me, Nino… I don’t want to be forced.” 

Nino backed away, giving his friend some much-needed space. Adrien took one last look at the TV screen. Marinette was hugging her partner Nathanael, the cameras even catching the wet cheeks that both of them had. 

Ladybug was amazing. Everyone around the country loved her, except for one person. That wasn’t too much of a loss, right? 

He needed to see her again, but how? Chat Noir couldn’t leave this house just as much as Adrien could. He had to find a way to speak to her. 

Adrien turned back to Nino and gave a slight nod. His friend gave him a sympathetic look but  knew nothing he could say would make Adrien feel any better. Nino led Adrien out of the room and through the giant house. By the time they reached Adrien’s room, the two were completely shut off from one another. Nino knew he shouldn’t pester Adrien, and Adrien didn’t want to talk to Nino. 

What did he mess up so badly that his father wanted to cage him up? Was it just the fact that he admired ladybug? Or was it something else, something more deadly than that?

“So, dude,” Nino started, trying to break the ice. “I don’t want to lock you in. That would be the most uncool thing to do, so I’m just going to close the door and stand outside. Promise not to go  anywhere?” 

Adrien nodded, giving him a small smile. 

“Thanks, Nino. You’re the best.” 

His friend smiled. “What are friends for?” 

*** * ***

Marinette walked into her apartment, kicking her heels off as she stumbled through the door. It had already been an extremely long day and she was desperately craving some down time. She had left Nathanael backstage with the reporters who had all kinds of questions. She had decided to leave as soon as the reporters snooped into their so-called  _ love _ . She did not want to talk about her fake love, so she left it to Nathanael. She trusted him to handle it. 

Marinette let out a yawn. Yeah, it definitely was nap time. 

To her right, she saw herself in a mirror. Her dress was still as beautiful as ever, her hair still in perfect curls. She felt like she was missing something from the outfit, though. 

Walking to her room, she opened up her closet. There were several outfits made specifically for the training sessions, but there were two outliers. One was her Choosing day dress. The other was her ladybug costume. 

Marinette smiled. That’s what she was missing. 

She reached inside and pulled off the ladybug mask that dangled on the coat hanger. She turned toward the full-length mirror on the back of her closet door. Taking a deep breath, Marinette slipped the mask over her head and positioned it over her eyes. It matched perfectly. 

“You look stunning, my lady.” 

Yelping, Marinette spun around. Two playful green eyes looked her up and down. Chat Noir was crouching by her open window, a mischievous smile crossing his lips. 

Ladybug put her hands on her hips. “What are you doing here, Chat?” 

“Oh, you know me, just passing through and decided to say hello to my lady.” 

“Uh-huh, that’s the only reason then?”

He smirked. “Maybe, maybe not.” 

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “Let me guess, you need your litter box cleaned and you decided to pester me to do it?” 

Chat gasped and clasped a hand over his heart. “My lady, I would never make you endure such a painful experience.” He reached behind his back, then began to spin his staff in his hands. “I actually came here to ask if you would like a tour of this wonderful Capitol.” 

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. “A tour?”

“Yep, with the wonderfully gorgeous Chat Noir.” He winked. 

She laughed. “Alright, kitty. I’ll play along with this, but as you can see,” she gestured to her ballgown dress, “I’m not exactly in the proper attire for adventuring.” 

Chat smiled and climbed down from the window, his step full of swagger. “I don’t think that will be a problem.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her to the window seal.

“No silly business,” Ladybug stated simply. 

He laughed. “You know I can’t promise that, bugaboo.” 

The next thing Marinette saw was the sky. She let out a small squeak and wrapped her arms around Chat’s neck as they shot out of the window. The wind whistled through her ears and she could feel her hair, and her dress, flying behind her. The pair bounded across the city skyline. Marinette felt Chat’s hair brushing her arms, no doubt the wind helping it become even more of a bed-headed mess. She could also feel Chat’s muscles working overtime as he launched the staff and held her up at the same time. They soon fell into a rhythmic motion. Ladybug would lift her legs when he extended the staff then straighten them again in order to help with leverage as they fell. 

After a few minutes of traveling, Chat finally set Ladybug and himself down on a rooftop. It was near one of the main squares that were hosting parties in honor of the Charms and the Miraculous Games. The music and cheering from the party echoed all around them. Luckily, no one had seen them land. 

Ladybug smoothed out her dress as she plopped herself down on the rooftop. 

“How often do you take girls out for those kinds of wonder rides?” 

“Hardly ever,” Chat answered, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “You’re actually the first.” 

She smirked. “I’m surprised. A boy like you would seem to attract a lot of girls.” 

“Oh, I do. Only one girl has stood out, though.” He sat down beside her, trying to be careful of her dress. 

“Sounds like she’s a lucky girl.” 

“She is. I’m willing to do pretty much anything for her.”

The two of them sat in silence, watching the people partying in the streets below. A giant screen with a countdown dominated the square, casting the numbers over everyone. 15 hours, 24 minutes, 17 seconds. 16, 15, 14, 13… 

“Why are they excited?” Ladybug muttered, her tone a little sad. 

“For the games?” 

She nodded. 

Chat shrugged. “It’s a way to escape. The Capitol knows something is wrong, but they don’t want to accept it. Subconsciously, they can tell something is off, and instead of changing it, they hid behind the games. It’s an easier solution.” 

“But why would they hide? They could change the world if they’d just step out of line and take a stand.” 

“It may be easier for some compared to others,” he replied, obviously trying to reference her. “The people feel lost. The country is starting to crumble, and as it does, the citizens are starting to get scared.” Chat’s voice lowered to a sad whisper. “Fear can do a lot to a person…” 

Ladybug put a hand on his leg. He tensed and looked up at her. She gave him a comforting smile. Tears watered in his eyes, but he let the tension slip away. 

“Chat, you can do amazing things. If you can set your mind to a goal, fear cannot control you.” 

He gave her a small smile, then turned away and tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. “Thanks, LB, but it isn’t that easy…” He bit his lip, debating if he wanted to spill what was on his mind. Finally, he decided that it was safe enough to share. “I’ve lived in fear for a long time, and sadly, there isn’t much I can do about it. I mean, that’s why I’m here.” He sighed. “I’m going to get a little personal, so please don’t take this as a usual occurrence…” 

When Ladybug nodded, Chat took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. 

“Ladybug, I come from a home where I don’t have both parents. My mother left a long time ago. When she did, my father closed off from the world. In tandem with that, he started pressing me to be better.” He let a small smile dance across his lips. “My mother used to tell me that I could be anything I wanted, that I could travel the world changing one life at a time. It’s been one of my dreams to go out and see the world rather than being cooped up under my father’s jurisdiction. Sadly, my father did not share her view of my life…

“He insisted that I should go into his line of work after my mother left. I mean, it’s not like I hate him or anything, but sometimes I feel like I’m just another one of his objects. Controllable, malleable, worth money, which is probably the only reason he keeps me around…” 

Ladybug moved her hand to his shoulder. “Oh Chat, I’m so sorry…” 

He shrugged. “It’s not your fault. I guess I just have to deal with it until I’m old enough to make my own legal choices. Besides, I have this side of me.” He gestured to his outfit. “No one knows who I am, but I try and get out as much as possible and try to save future people’s lives.” 

“What do you mean?” Ladybug asked. “Are there crimes around here?” 

“Yes, but that’s not what I do. I let the police handle those. What I’ve been assigned to do is to save people from the games. You know what it’s like on a personal level, which kinda makes you easier to talk to. The Charms are given so much spotlight time and then thrown into a deadly arena.” 

She smirked. “Yeah, it’s not the best deal to have.” 

“No, it’s not,” Chat agreed, “and this year hits a lot closer to home…” 

Ladybug studied his face as if looking for cracks in his outside bubble. He met her gaze and gave her a lopsided smile. 

“Do you mind if I take your mask off?” he asked. 

She folded her arms sarcastically. “Only if I can take yours off.” 

Chat chuckled. “If you did, you’d probably end up hating me. Besides, I can’t risk the public finding out who I am. I still have a job to do, after all. The Game Master still has plans.” 

“That Game Master? Who’s that?” Ladybug asked. 

“He’s the one who creates the deadly Miraculous Game arenas. He has all-powerful control over the trees, plants, animals, pretty much anything inside. I’ve been sneaking information, trying to figure the ins and outs of the place.” 

“So, you could save everyone?”

Chat shook his head. “Only one or two. Besides, I can’t be caught. If every charm suddenly disappeared from the arena-”

“The Game Master would know something’s up,” Ladybug finished. 

Chat nodded, running his fingers through his hair. “It’s a tough job, and I have to choose who I save. I try to pick the best person for the job, people who, even if they win, will still be themselves.” 

A pause fell between the two of them. Ladybug fingered her dress, her thoughts spinning in such a way that she thought she had figured out Chat’s plan. 

“Am I one of those people?” 

Chat was quiet for a minute, but finally, he nodded. “I trust you, Marinette. You have strong character, and… well… I think I’m in love with you.” 

Ladybug was taken aback. She stared at Chat in shock. His cheeks were pink and his eyes were averted from her gaze. He seemed so ashamed for having said it aloud, but she didn’t know how to react. Her body took over for her instead. 

She kissed his cheek. 

“Thank you, minou.” 

Marinette couldn’t believe it. Two people now had her back. With Chat by her side, she could get out of the Miraculous Games alive. With Nathanael, she and/or he could win. This three-way partnership may be dangerous, but it could save more than one person. 

Besides, Marinette wasn’t just willing to fight to survive and win. She was willing to change the whole country -- all starting in the Capitol. 


	12. Chapter Twelve:

##  **Chapter Twelve:**

 

The day of the games arrived. After hanging out with Chat Noir last night, Marinette had not gotten a wink of sleep. The night consisted of tossing and turning, and even a midnight snack, but no sleep. Her mind kept spinning in circles. It kept going back and forth from fear to excitement to anxiety to her nerves eating away at her stomach. 

By the time morning rolled around, the sun streaming in through her windows, Marinette was a living, breathing, nervous, zombie wreck. Nathanael wasn’t much different. 

Literally. 

They were wearing the exact same clothes. They both wore brown cargo pants, combat boots, and a black V-neck shirt. He must have had the same outfit set out for him by their designers. There apparently had been some reason for it, and Marinette doubted it was a stylistic choice. They were going into the games, after all. 

When he walked into the kitchen for their last planned breakfast, his hair was a mess and he was molding a piece of clay. Marinette figured it was a way to help him with nerves, but he didn’t want to ask him. Besides, spending time with Chat made her feel guilty being around Nathan. 

That was a totally different type of problem altogether. Marinette didn’t want to admit it, but she was starting to like spending time with a certain black cat. She was competing for the guy of her dreams! She couldn’t get distracted. Then that made her feel bad for pairing up with Nathanael. Judging by the amount of attention Nathan’s interview had gotten concerning her and him, the whole country was shipping them. He was such a sweet kid and so supportive, but he wasn’t for her. Part of her knew it would crush him if she told him that she liked another guy -- technically two guys now! Saying it was a little awkward was definitely an understatement. 

Juleka and Rose escorted Nathanael and Marinette to the training building. Judging by Rose’s lack of energy, they were headed for doom. Marinette felt so unprepared for this. It was no doubt that they were heading to the arena today, but why were they going to the training room? She could almost see the countdown she had seen last night with Chat ticking down. That thought scared her. 

When they arrived, all of the Charms were there, standing atop platforms with their designers behind them. Chloe was mouthing off to Sabrina, Alix was describing something dramatically to Kim and Ivan, and everyone else had their own groups. Once Marinette and Nathanael were placed on their own pedestals, the door opened. Master Fu stepped into the room, his cane perched on his shoulders. Everyone fell silent. He walked to the middle of the circled platforms, his eyes closed as if he were on a stroll in the park rather than being watched by twenty-four kids. When his eyes opened, he looked directly at Marinette and smiled. She puffed out her chest a bit more. 

“Welcome, Charms,” he greeted. “Today is the day you prove your strength to the country. These games are usually to the death, but this year, as you all know, is very different.” He snapped his fingers. 

Next to their raised platforms, a table rose up from the ground. Placed carefully in the center, a purple and silver medal glistened in a velvet box. Each Charm’s was different. Marinette’s was a circle with five silver dots, one in the center with the other four dots surrounding the edges. A chain was tucked in the back as well as a fancy pin. She glanced over at Nathanael, who was holding his delicately in his hands. 

His was in the shape of a fox tail, the end of the tail tipped with silver while the rest of it was purple. His, too, had a chain and pin. Marinette doubted they were for decoration. 

“These are your lifelines -- the Lucky Charms,” Master Fu explained. “If one of your competitors in the arena is able to steal your Lucky Charm, you lose.” 

Alix scowled, tightening her grip on her paw-shaped charm. “Are we allowed to hide them?” 

Master Fu shook his head. “No, you must always have it on you. You may wear it as a necklace or a pin, but it must be in plain sight.” 

“But that’s not fair!” Chloe complained. 

Their trainer raised an eyebrow. 

Ivan lifted a hand. “Master, once we take each charm, do we have to keep them in the open still?”

He nodded. “Yes. You must pin the Lucky Charm to your jacket once you have in your possession. This allows others to take the pin for themselves.” 

“So, could someone have twenty-four pins on their jacket by the end of the games?” Sabrina asked. 

Master Fu gave a single nod. 

“Sweet! That’ll be me!” Kim boasted, jabbing his chest with his thumbs. 

“Do not get too cocky, Eagle,” Master Fu warned. “You do not want to be caught off-guard due to your self-centered attitude.” 

Kim wasn’t listening. He was still bragging and shooting winks at Chloe. Marinette rolled her eyes. 

“You will be taken into the arena once you’ve been fitted with your Lucky Charms,” Master Fu continued. As he spoke, Juleka came up behind Marinette. In her peripheral vision, Marinette could see Rose coming up to Nathanael. They slipped waterproof jackets over their already identical outfits. It was gray and only fitted around the waist by elastic. 

Marinette had to appreciate how it matched her outfit. She hadn’t noticed before, but she saw that all of the other Charms were wearing the same clothes as her. The designers must have come together to create the outfit and had decided that it would best fit all of them. 

Or was it something more? 

Marinette studied the fabrics and what they could imply. The short-sleeve V-neck shirt and cargo pants probably meant that it was warm at some points of the day. The combat boots obviously were to protect her feet from something. Maybe rocks or foliage? The jacket, though, was made for rain and warmth. Cold nights and storms?

She thought about all of this while Master Fu was speaking. 

“Once you are in the arena, you will see the Cataclysmacopia. Inside will be weapons to fight with. It is preferred that you do not kill the Charms since everyone deserves a chance to win.” 

Marinette glanced over at Nathanael. He was looking at her and there was no way to hide the anxiety in his eyes. She gave him a confident smile. ‘I’ll help you,’ it said. 

“Due to the achievements two of you have reached, they will start off with an advantage.” 

“What?! That is so not fair!” Chloe screeched. 

Master Fu held up a hand to quiet the group of Charms that had taken Chloe’s side of the complaint. 

“It is fair and each of you knew who the two were. It was not questioned until this moment, so the verdict stays in action.” 

Clumps of Charms started to mutter among themselves. Marinette shifted nervously on her pedestal. She had just become a prime target. 

“One last note,” Master Fu said. “Each Lucky Charm you receive has a special power inside. You can only activate ones that you acquire from other Charms. You cannot use yours for your own personal gain.” 

Nathanael looked at Marinette. 

“Powers?” He muttered. She spread her hands. 

“Designers, pin the Lucky Charms to the competitor's jacket,” Master Fu ordered. 

Juleka picked up Marinette’s charm. With a confident smile, she pinned it to her jacket, on one of the two straps that lined the front. 

“You can do it, Ladybug,” she assured. Marinette smiled a nodded. 

Once the designers stepped away from the platforms, Master Fu pulled his cane off of his shoulders. 

“Charms, are you ready to prove yourself to the entire country?” 

The Charms cheered. 

“To the President?” 

More cheering. 

“And, now most importantly, to Adrien Agreste?” 

The roaring of the Charms echoed around the room so loudly, it sounded like a sonic boom. Master Fu smiled, pushed a button on the floor with his cane, then bowed in farewell. 

All around each of the pedestals, glass encased the Charms. It took them by surprise, some of them -- including Nathanael -- jumping a few feet in the air. Marinette locked eyes with Nathan. His eyes were spiking with fear. She gave him a thumbs up, hoping to lift his spirits. 

And then, they dropped. 

*** * ***

The next thing Marinette saw was the ground. Grass stabbed her arms and she saw something metal out of the corner of her eye. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was the weapon she had chosen the very first day of training -- a grappling hook. 

Realizing where she was, she spun around and sat up. Every other charm was on the ground too. Each of them was in a field surrounded by tall trees that stretched to the sky. They were all equal distances from a metal structure that stood in the middle of the grass.

The Cataclysmacopia. 

It was shaped in the shape of a cat, made of sheets of crisp gray metal. It almost looked like the Sphinx, but with its jaw hinged open all the way to the ground. The entrance of the monstrous-looking metal beast was lined with pieces of sharp triangles. They were its teeth. 

Weapons decorated the ground around the structure, along with bags of food and water. Swords, spears, canteens, apples, and whatever else you could ask to survive with was scattered across the grass. They were all varying distances away from the mouth of the enormous cat. 

Above the Charms in the sky, black numbers began to count down from five. 

Five, four…

Marinette scanned the Charms. Nathanael was all the way across the field from her. They locked eyes. 

Three, two… 

‘Follow me,’ Marinette mouthed. He nodded. 

One. A siren sounded. 

Marinette gripped her grappling hook firmly and ran. Everyone else ran toward the Cataclysmacopia. The sound of a sword being drawn sent Marinette’s heart straight into her stomach. Her breath hitched with nerves. Blood would be spilled if she didn’t get out quick. 

Marinette scooped up a red backpack, racing toward the edge of the trees. She heard Nathanael yell. Fear struck her heart. She risked a glance behind her. Her partner had barely dodged Ivan’s spear. 

A cannon fired. 

He was running full speed toward her. She held out her hand as she swung her backpack over her shoulder. 

“Let’s go!” She shouted. He grasped her wrist and they both bolted for the treeline. 

Behind her, she could hear the other Charms fighting. Two or three cannons echoed above the field. She could hear footfalls coming quickly toward her and Nathanael. It only made her run faster. It was becoming a lot harder since it felt like she was dragging Nathan behind her. She let her eyes study the trees ahead of her.

An idea came to mind.

She cocked her grappling hook with one hand and yelled, “Hang on!” 

Wrapping her arm around Nathanael’s waist, she pulled him close to her. He squeaked in shock but hooked his arms around her neck. Marinette aimed at a tree branch.

BAM! 

They jumped into the air. The grappling hook snagged around the branch and the pair swung toward the foliage. Their feet didn’t touch the ground. Just as they were at the peak of their swing, Nathanael cried out. His grip slackened and Marinette was barely able to hold him up before they dropped like rocks behind a fallen log. 

Nathan hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. He moaned in pain, clutching his leg. Marinette froze. He was bleeding. A throwing knife was sticking out of his leg. 

“Oh no,” she muttered in shock.

Nathanael looked up at her, tears brimming in the corners of his eyes, but a small smile crossed his lips. He held up a clutched fist. Dangling from a chain, a purple and silver snake medallion sparkled in the light. 

Marinette gasped. “You got one?” 

He nodded, but that was the only thing Marinette saw before she was engulfed by the bushes. She screamed, her head accidently smacking against a rock A Charm sat atop her chest, smirking and running a cold knife down her face. Felix, Marinette thought his name was. She tried to get away, her vision swimming, but he held her down. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Lucky Ladybug,” he taunted. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” He raised the knife. Marinette shut her eyes. 

Nathanael screamed. The next thing Marinette knew, the weight of Felix was off of her chest. Her eyes flew open and she sat up. The boys were wrestling on the ground, and even though Nathanael’s calf was bleeding out of control, he threw punches left and right. Felix was trying to do the same thing but failed. One of Nathan’s punches hit Felix square in the jaw, which gave him just enough time to rip the pin from off of his jacket. 

A cannon sounded. Felix cried out in anger and tried to grab Nathan’s pin, but his fingers went straight through him. His eyes widened. 

“No, no, no!”

He kept trying to grab at Nathan’s pin, but he slowly began to fade into silver mist. He let out a cry of rage before he was engulfed in a purple, foam-like substance. He was gone. 

Marinette got to her feet and rushed toward Nathanael. 

“We have to get out of here,” she insisted. 

He nodded, then winced and clutched his leg. His cargo pants were soaked with blood. 

“I-I can’t walk,” he admitted. 

Marinette’s expression turned to one of determination. “Then, I’ll carry you.” 

“But-”

“No,” she snapped. “It’s the only way. Grab on.” 

She bent down and carefully hoisted him up. He wrapped his arms around her, and after a minute of her shifting his weight, she began to walk away from the field.

They both could still hear fighting happening behind them, Marinette knew they had to get away as soon as possible. Besides, they already had two Lucky Charms out of the twenty-four possible. 

That was a good enough start, right?

*** * ***

Adrien cheered, jumping up and down on the couch. 

“Yes, yes, yes!” 

He pounded his fists in the air in triumph. The bloodiest part of the Miraculous Games was over -- and Ladybug was still alive. 

“Dude, calm down,” Nino insisted, though he too was grinning like a madman. “You don’t want your dad finding you jumping up and down on the furniture. He’d kill you for sure.”

“Nino, Ladybug survived!” He launched himself off the couch and grabbed his friend’s arms. Adrien swung him around country-swing style, laughing and smiling. 

“Dude, why are you so excited? Twenty other charms are still left.” 

Adrien stopped spinning and gripped his shoulders. “Ladybug can win, Nino. She is a fan favorite, has so much determination, and she has the perfect amount compassion. She saved her partner from danger and they both now have two Lucky Charms. They’re one step ahead of the game!” 

“But bro, that doesn’t mean they’ll win.” 

He spread his hands. “I believe she can. Then again, can you blame me?” 

Nino chuckled and punched his arm. “You’re crazy, man. You’re going to get yourself in trouble.”

Adrien frowned, scrunching his lips into the corner of his mouth. “I’ll be fine as long as my father doesn’t find out. Besides,” He looked at the TV screen they had been watching. “Ladybug will be in more trouble than I will ever be if my father realizes I’ve been picking favorites.” 

“And if he does?” 

That made Adrien pause. He shoved his hands into his pockets and gave his friend a one-shoulder shrug. 

“Then I hold my ground. If he thinks he can betroth me to any random girl, he better believe that I’ll find my own path.” 

Nino patted his shoulder supportively, then left the room. Adrien waited until his friend left the room before returning his attention to the TV. The camera had focused on Ladybug and Fox as they made their way through the forest. Alec was talking over the footage. 

“Those two make a great pair, don’t you think so?” 

Mrs. Chamach responded almost instantly. “I agree, Alec. Another perfect match made by the Miraculous Games.” 

Adrien clenched his fists. 

“Survive until tonight, my lady. I promise you, I’m coming.” 


	13. Chapter Thirteen:

##  **Chapter Thirteen:**

 

Night began to fall in the Arena. Marinette had carried Nathanael through the woods for a while and had set him down by a small pond maybe a mile or two away from the Cataclysmacopia. The pair hadn’t really spoken during that time but had decided to make camp by the small body of water

As the sun set behind the treetops to the west, Marinette was setting up a makeshift tent-slash-shelter. They would have to sleep on the ground because, even though a tarp had been included in Ladybug’s bag, sleeping bags had not been part of the luxury kit. 

Marinette had been patient all day, sitting through Nathanael’s subtle complaining, but now she was starting to crack. She had set him down on a rock near where she would set up their tarp tent, but now he was starting to talk. 

“Marinette, do you have time to help me?” He asked. 

Marinette shook her head, pounding a stuck into the ground with a rock. “No, I can’t help right now.” 

“But Mari-”

“Nathan, do you want a shelter or not?” 

He fell silent. Marinette continued to work on the shelter. Her irritation with him was starting to drive her crazy. Her mind buzzed with anger and a little bit of exasperation. 

“I’m sorry I’m dead weight.” 

That made Ladybug free. She turned to look at her partner, Fox’s face was downcast and his eyes were watering. Ladybug’s expression softened. She dropped the rock she was using at her feet and went to his side. 

“Nathan, you are not dead weight to me.” 

“But I can’t do anything,” he insisted. “My leg is cut really badly, basically busted. This is supposed to be a balanced partnership -- a team, but I’m not doing anything to help you.”

Marinette rested a hand on his shoulder. “Nathanael, I’m sorry I snapped. You are helping me. As much as you don’t believe it, it’s true. If I was alone out here, I have to admit, I would probably be cowering under a rock.” 

A small smile grew on Nathanael’s lips. “I never would have thought you would have hidden.”

She laughed. “Then you don’t know me as well as you thought, huh?” 

The two of them shared a smile. The sun officially set and, above them, stars began to slowly appear in the fake sky. 

Nathanael sighed. “Well, I can start a fire, if you-”

“Hello, my lady.” 

Marinette spun around. In the trees high above them, a pair of green eyes smiled down at her. She popped her hips with sass. 

“What are you doing here, Chat?” 

“I came to protect my precious princess.” 

“Well, this ‘precious princess’ is a little busy at the moment.” 

Chat jumped down from the tree branch, swinging and doing a front flip, landing in front of her. He gave her a dazzling smile. 

“Show off,” Nathanael muttered. 

Chat looked down at him and raised an eyebrow. “Well well, who is this?” 

“This is my friend, Nathanael. Or, as most people know him, Fox.” 

Chat crouched and held out his hand to shake. “Pleased to meet you, Fox. My name is Chat Noir, the protector of this arena and this beautiful princess.” He winked at Marinette. 

Nathanael glared at his hand for a minute, then shook it. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to arrive,” Marinette said to Chat. “I thought you would come when I needed help the most.” 

He spread his gloved hands. “Sorry, my lady. I only figured you would be paw-sitively grateful to see me.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Well, now that you’re here, you can help set up our shelter while I properly patch Nathan up.” 

Chat gave her a salute. “I can do that, Ladybug.” 

He sauntered off and began to finish the shelter. Marinette picked up the red bag she had snatched from the Cataclysmacopia and pulled out a small first-aid kit. As she was preparing the bandages, Nathanael finally spoke. 

“Who is this ‘Chat Noir’ guy?” 

Marinette looked up at him and noticed he was glaring at the black cat. 

“He’s a friend of mine,” Ladybug answered. “He’s here to help us win the games.” 

“He seems a little shady,” Nathan whispered, studying Chat as he drove sticks into the ground. 

“I trust him with my life,” Marinette stated with complete honesty. She pulled Nathanael’s ripped cargo pants away from his wound. He winced, gritting his teeth tightly. Marinette grimaced at the sight of the blood and, most likely, infection, then began to clean it out. 

“What if he’s here to kill us?” Nathanael questioned. 

Marinette shook her head. “He’s not going to, I promise.” She wrapped his cut with fresh bandages. Leaning back, she examined her work. It would do for now. 

“Ladybug,” Chat called. She turned to look at him but froze. Chat’s posture was tense. His high-tech ears twitched and Marinette had a feeling it wasn’t a good sign. “Get in the shelter.” 

Nathanael began to protest, “But why-”

“Just do it,” he hissed, cutting him off. His hand reached toward his staff clipped around his waist as he spun in a slow circle. Marinette  did as she was told. She helped up Nathan and assisted him toward the shelter. 

“Is someone coming?” Marinette whispered, setting her partner down. 

He didn’t respond, only extended his staff and scanned the trees. 

“There are rules we have to follow,” Chat muttered. “I cannot touch the Lucky Charms. It will set off alarms and the Game Master will find me. You or Fox-face back there must be the one to take the Miraculous.” 

“Miraculous?” 

He nodded. “They call them ‘Lucky Charms’ but in all reality, they are called Miraculouses. Lucky Charms are the nicknames, I guess, because of their power.”

“Master Fu said something like that,” Ladybug realized. 

“It was a well-kept secret for a long time,” Chat continued, “but each Miraculous has a power. It’s usually different every betrothal Miraculous Game.” 

“It’s a step ahead in the game…” she mumbled. She opened her mouth to speak, but Chat slapped a gloved hand over it. 

“Shh,” he ordered. 

She heard it. The smallest snapping of a twig. It repeated. Footsteps. By the sound of them, they were coming closer. Marinette pulled her grappling hook from her makeshift holster around her waist. 

“What’s the plan?” Chat whispered. 

Marinette thought for a moment. “You start first, and get the person pinned down, if possible.” 

He smirked. “And then you can steal the pin while he’s  _ pinned _ .” 

“He?” 

Chat gave a single nod. “Judging by how slow and by how much sound is being made, yes, it’s a male. Or a really heavyweight girl.” 

A twig snapped. Marinette held her ground, then motioned to the trees. Chat nodded. He crept forward, his tech ears flicking back in forth to pinpoint the sound. Once he was certain, he pounced. There was a cry of surprise and Chat dragged the person out of the shadows. 

It was a Charm, one that Marinette recognized. Max the Owl. 

“Well well, look what the cat dragged in,” Marinette said. 

Max struggled against Chat’s grip that held him down. He looked up at Ladybug. The grin he wore chilled her to the bone. 

“I think you’re mistaken, Ladybug.” 

She was about to ask what he meant, but a thumping next to her made her jump. An arrow had lodged itself into a tree beside her. 

“It’s a trap!” Chat exclaimed. 

From out of the bushes, a group of three Charms surrounded them. The group consisted of Kim the Eagle, Sabrina the Hummingbird, and Queen Bee herself. Chloe. Marinette’s blood ran cold. This wasn’t good. There was no way Chat, Nathanael, and she could take them all down, especially since Nathanael was out of the game due to injuries. 

“If you thought you could get away with an advantage over us, you were wrong,” Max spat, eyeing Chat with a furious gaze. “Attack!” 

The Charms charged. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen:

##  **Chapter Fourteen:**

 

“Duck!” Chat yelled. Marinette followed his order and hit the deck. His staff sailed over her head, spinning like a helicopter blade. It smacked Sabrina in the face, knocking her down. It didn’t stop the other two, though. 

Kim pounced at Marinette. Her skills kicked into gear. Ladybug swung her leg and tripped him. As he hit the ground, she dove toward him. He rolled over and held up his arms, blocking her hits. 

“You know, Ladybug,” he said, “this is for your own good.” 

Kim kneed her in the stomach. Marinette winced, then grunted as she stumbled back. 

“I don’t understand,” she wheezed. “What have I done to deserve your hate?”

Eagle got to his feet and squared his shoulders. “You stole our spotlight.” 

He swung his fist. Ladybug dodged and punched his face in return. He growled, the lunged at her. She smirked. As he dove, she side stepped, grabbed his arm, and flipped him over. Kim hit the ground with a hard THUMP! Marinette grinned at her handiwork and knelt down next to him. 

“Fun tip, use your partner’s energy to your advantage. Master Fu taught us that.” 

Kim nailed her square in the jaw. Marinette gasped, falling back and landing on her back. She cupped her hand over her jaw and looked up at him. He had gotten to his feet and was now towering over her. 

“Another fun tip, use distractions.” He gave her a mischievous grin then raised his leg to kick her. At that time, Marinette swept her leg under him again, knocking him off balance. She dove on top of him, holding him down with all of her strength. 

“Don’t be fooled by the same move twice,” she spat. 

She reached down to pluck the Eagle pin from off his jacket when she was fiercely tackled from behind. Her and the unknown figure rolled through the field, then finally came to a stop. Before Ladybug could regain her balance, she was pinned down by someone’s thighs. Her eyes widened. 

“Well well, look what I’ve caught. A loser bug!’” 

“Bee, let me go or I’ll kick your butt,” Marinette threatened, but her voice cracked halfway through, revealing how scared she was. 

“Who says I should? Besides, I don’t want to lose the pin I’ve been yearning to win.” She reached down to grab Ladybug’s pin. Marinette squirmed, trying to free herself. 

“Chat!” She cried out, desperately trying to push Chloe off of her. “Chat, help!” 

“He’s too busy to help you,” Chloe sneered. She gripped Ladybug’s pin. 

No, no, no, no, no! 

“Bye bye, pest!” 

“No!” 

Ladybug shut her eyes tightly, waiting to be engulfed by the purple bubbles. 

“Get off of her.” 

Chloe froze. A knife was pressed up against her throat by someone who was standing behind her. Chloe leveled her breathing, trying to stay calm. 

“Get off of her or I spill your blood, Bee.” 

Ladybug opened her eyes. She stared up at the person in shock. Nathanael’s eyes were flared with hatred, glaring at Chloe like he might rip her to pieces. She expected to see his hand trembling, at least, but the knife has held steady. He appeared so fearless. He must have been in so much pain, though. 

Chloe let go of Marinette’s miraculous and raised her hands. Tears were threatening to spill over in her eyes. 

“P-please don’t hurt me,” she pleaded. 

“Get off of Ladybug,” Nathanael hissed. Chloe scrambled to her feet, allowing Marinette to sit up. “Now, leave and never come back to bother us again.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. Queen Bee bolted for the treeline. She was gone. Marinette took deep breaths to steady her nerves. She was still in the games! Her eyes drifted to Nathanael, amazed by the strength he was able to show even though he should have been in dire pain. She slipped a hand over her pin in awe.

“You saved me again.” 

He smirked. “We are a partnership, aren’t we?”

Marinette let out a laugh and threw her arms around his neck, giving him a tight and loving hug. She then gasped. 

“Oh no, Chat!” 

She let go of him and got to her feet, stumbling back toward their camp. Once she entered it, though, all of her fear faded away. In the very center of their camp, Max, Sabrina, and Kim were tied up with rope and vines. Chat stood proudly over them, giving Ladybug a cheeky grin. 

“Back so soon, my lady?” 

She smiled. “Chat, you sly kitty.” She held out a fist and the pair fist-bumped. “I can’t believe you were able to snag all of them at once.” 

“Eh, it was no big deal.” He knocked his staff up into the air and pulled it across his shoulders. 

She laughed and flicked his bell. “Well, I think it’s time to de-evilize these Charms, don’t you?” 

He smiled and bowed. “Of course, bugaboo.” 

Ladybug walked forward and crouched next to Kim. His face was downcast and he didn’t look at her. She gave him a sad smile, then plucked his pin off of his jacket. Kim’s eyes flicked up to hers and she saw fear bubbling beneath the surface. He was scared. She watched as he turned to silver mist and disappear in a shower of purple. Biting her lip, she moved on to the others. The Owl and the Hummingbird soon disappeared to join the Eagle. 

The birds were gone. 

Ladybug added their pins beside hers on her jacket. She was slowly moving up the ranks. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Nathanael. He sat at the edge of camp, giving her a proud smile. 

Chat gazed up into the sky. “It’s starting to get late. I think you two should get some rest. You need to be well-rested, especially you, Fox-face.” 

Marinette nodded, trying to distract herself. “You’re right. This is only day one of these hectic games.” She turned to look at him, but he was already climbing a tree. “You need to rest too, Chat.”

Once he got himself situated on a branch high above them, he shook his head. “We need to have someone on watch duty. You two get some rest.” He smiled. “I’m here to protect you, my lady. Not to take cat naps.” Wink. 

Cat naps… Why did that sound so familiar?

Marinette folded her arms. “But don’t you need to protect us tomorrow too?” 

Chat smirked and extended his staff. He slid down just enough to be able to slip a gloved finger under her chin. The gaze he gave her with his intense green eyes narrowed her vision to only see him. 

“Don’t worry about me, Ladybug. I’ll be back tomorrow night. I can stay until morning, but then I must go. I can sleep when we are not together.” 

Marinette blinked. “Wait, you can’t stay?” 

He gave her a sideways grin. “As much as I would love to stay with you twenty-four-seven, my lady, I cannot. I have a reputation and appearances to uphold. I cannot bring too much attention to myself of the Game Master will find me.” 

Ladybug nodded, a little sad. “Alright… Well, we better get some rest, then.” 

She gave him one last sideways glanced before turning away to help Nathanael. Vaguely, she saw Chat climb back up into the tree branch. She almost wished she could join him. 

The rest of the night, Marinette attempted to sleep, but she couldn’t. The night was cold, full of unknown sounds. Even with Nathanael’s sleeping body warmly snuggled up to her, the chilly breeze was getting to her. She was awake all night. During that time, she kept her eyes on the boy in the tree branch above them. She watched him play with his high-tech ears, twirl his staff, even just stare up at the fake stars. 

Who was he? 

As the morning sun began to taint the sky pink, Marinette sleepily watched Chat collect his belongings. Once he was sure he had everything, he extended his staff down to the ground. Marinette quickly pretended to be asleep. She could hear his boots crunch the leaves on the ground as he came near. A shadow fell over her. 

Then, she felt a pair of lips brush her forehead. 

“Be safe, princess.” 

She heard him turn away. Marinette risked cracking one eye open. With her heart racing, she watched as Chat disappeared into the purple sky. 

*** * ***

“Wow, is this a curved ball put into the games?” 

“It might be, Alec.” 

“Man, who knew the protective Charm would come back! How long has it been?” 

“At least forty years.” 

“That’s amazing. It may be a different animal this year, but we definitely have another valiant Cham protector. Ladybug really is very lucky.” 

*** * ***

Gabriel Agreste glared at the screen, watching the replayed scenes from the night before. His plan had failed. Four against two should have been logically enough to take Ladybug out. 

But this Chat Noir… 

He was messing with his plans. He couldn’t keep getting in the way. There had to be some way to get him out of the picture. If he kept side stepping into his path, it could ruin everything. 

“Chat Noir, huh?” He muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair. He rubbed his chin. “I think it’s time for some desperate measures if Ladybug decides to cheat.” 

President Agreste didn’t notice, but behind him, a door had been left open a crack. All of his plans had been revealed to one person. In the hallway, Nino’s eyes widened. He staggered away from the door, careful not to drop any of the tea he was carrying, then ran. 

He needed to tell Adrien. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen:

##  **Chapter Fifteen:**

 

“-and then he said that he was going to take drastic measures. Dude, he’s up to something, and I don’t like it.” 

Adrien leaned back on his couch, biting his lip and drumming his fingers against his folded arms. His mind was going a thousand miles an hour and he had barely registered anything Nino had said. Was his father trying to kill off Marinette? Why would he do that? And even so, was he just disapproving of her or actually planning on sending deadly things after her. 

“This isn’t good…” he muttered. 

Nino scoffed. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, man.”

“So that whole charms face off last night was all planned out?” 

“By the sounds of things, dude, yeah.” 

Adrien rubbed his face with both hands, trying to make sense of everything. What could his father possibly do? Well, for one, he could tell the Game Master to make more traps. And secondly, he could make the media hate her. That would pull her down in the ranks and receive help from the outside world. 

Unexpectedly, he yawned. He was still exhausted from the night before, having stayed up all night to be on watch for Marinette and Nathanael. His eyelids were so heavy, it was hard to not nod off, but now with this new information, there was no way he could just go to sleep. 

“What are we going to do? I want the Miraculous Games to be fair for everyone. Bias shouldn’t decide someone’s fate,” he muttered. 

Nino shrugged and leaned against the arm of the couch. “Though I have to agree with you on that one, the games are a sick and twisted place. It’s a trap for everyone who steps foot inside.” 

“A trap…” 

Adrien began to theorize. He knew where every trap was in the entire arena. If he could just look at the plans, he could warn Marinette. 

But how? 

He had a feeling that his father would attack before night came around again, but he wasn’t sure how he was to go about it. He couldn’t just upright and leave as Chat and jump into the arena. He would be caught and the games would have been for nothing. And he didn’t know if Ladybug would get pulled into the situation. News of a protector charm was already spreading like wildfire through the media. 

No, being caught couldn’t be an option. 

Nino waved his hand in front of his friend’s face. “Dude, are you psyching out or something?” 

Adrien blinked, coming back to reality. He looked up at his friend and gave him a guilty smile. “Sorry, Nino. I guess I’m just really tired.” 

Nino gave him a scan through. “Yeah, you don’t look too hot, dude. It looks like you got attacked by a wild bird.” 

“More like three of them…” 

“Huh?” 

Adrien forced a smile. “Nothing!” 

His friend gave him a raised eyebrow but didn’t bring up his comment. 

“So… what are you going to do, man? Your father is picking sides.” 

“Nino,” Adrien stated, “I have been too.” 

“Well, you’re allowed to! This whole thing is for you, bro.” 

Adrien bit the inside of his cheek in order to stop him from spilling his secret. You don’t know the half of it, buddy… 

“In all honesty, Nino, I have no idea what I’m going to do. There really isn’t anything I can do.” 

His friend sighed, collapsing onto the couch next to him. “I guess all we can hope for is the Ladybug’s protector charm to step in.” He patted his friend's shoulder. “He’ll take care of her, don’t worry, man.” 

Adrien slumped lower. You don’t know that, Nino… You don’t know even the half of it… 

He had to get out of here. HIs father was up to something, whatever it may be, and it needed to be put to a stop. He had probably ordered the Game Master to do some sort of terrible, horrible deed.  Chat Noir had to do some investigating.

*** * ***

Around noon, Chat Noir was barely able to sneak out of the house. It hadn’t been an easy task, thanks to Natalie, but once he begged for a shower instead of having lunch, she had agreed. Hygiene was important after all. 

Chat jumped onto the roof, trying to stick to the shadows as much as possible. His black suit stuck out like a sore thumb, but he had no other choice. Ladybug’s life was in danger. 

Peeking around the corner of a chimney, Chat scanned the area. Nothing. Now was his chance. 

With a quick leap and a slide down his staff, he dropped down in an alleyway next to the building that the Game Master used as a lair. Chat tried to keep his head down, for risk of being recognized. People began to walk up and down the streets once more. Wearing all black with tech ears and a belt as a tail, Adrien was sure he was going to get caught and the poor Chat costume would have to be stored away for a long time. 

No, Marinette was in danger. He had to risk it. 

People passed by the alley, all chatting with someone, looking at their personal devices, or watching the live feed from the arena on the many billboards that were in the area. Chat waited for them to clear out, but in the meantime, he watched the billboard. Alec and Nadja were having a discussion on one of the charm’s personal life. As they talked, the billboard flickered with different scenes of the Charms in the arena. At the moment, the camera was focused on Queen Bee, who was having a hard time washing out mud from her ‘perfect golden locks’. 

Chat snorted. She totally deserved it. 

The scene then flipped to a tree shot that looked down on a tent. Two individuals were sleeping soundly inside. Adrien’s expression softened. It was Marinette and Nathanael. His lady was stirring, but still not yet awake. 

She was adorable when she slept. 

The camera switched again, yet this time Chat had lost interest in the feed. He scanned the area again. Clear. Time to go. 

He dashed into the government building, being careful to close the door silently behind him. Once he was inside, he ducked behind a plant. He had barely missed being seen by a government official. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he began to sneak toward the entrance to the Game Master’s lair. It took him a few minutes, but he was able to get inside without being seen. 

As he closed the painting, his high-tech ears twitched. It caught the sound of shuffling. Chat launched himself up into the rafters, scanning his gaze across the area. The room was still dark and he couldn’t see any lower than the catwalk, but that didn’t matter. He could see the Game Master at his console. 

Creeping forward, Chat’s ears twitched as they took in the ticking the Game Master’s fingers tapping his keyboard. A string of code was projected in front of the Game Master, but Chat couldn’t read what exactly it said. He stopped at the end of the rafters, leaning down in order to get a better view. What was the Game Master doing? 

Just then, he scoffed and almost sent Chat jumping five feet in the air. 

“We’ll see how well our so-called ‘Miraculous’ Ladybug can withstand  _ this _ .” 

Before Chat could connect the dots of whose voice that sounded like, the Game Master hit the enter button on his keyboard. The code swirled, turning into a funnel of numbers, letters, and dashes before it spun itself into the arena -- all the way around the spot where Nathanael and Marinette were sleeping. 

Chat watched on in horror as the trees around them erupted in flame. His heart pounded in his ears, no doubt throwing the high-tech sensors off. As much as he had hacked the Game Master’s console, he had no clue how to turn a command off. And even if he did, he knew he would be too late.  Even if he could run as fast as his legs could carry him to the arena, he wouldn’t make it. 

With his eyes watering, Chat stared down at the Game Master, who typed in something that Adrien didn’t recognize. A giant lock appeared in the hologram. It was locked. 

There was no stopping what the Game Master had done. 

*** * ***

Marinette yawned, awakening from a groggy dream state. She had barely gotten any sleep the night before, but even as the sun came up, she was able to catch a few Zs. 

Something tingled in her nose. She sniffed. Was that smoke? 

She opened her eyes. It was blurry at first, but once she blinked a couple times, the danger came into focus: 

Fire. 

She sat bolt upright, starting to shake Nathanael. 

“Nathanael! Nate! Get up!” 

He moaned, brushing her off. “Just a few more minutes…” 

“Nathanael, get up! We’re gonna die!” She shook him harder. Behind her, she noticed the edge of the tarp catch aflame. “Nathan! Please, get up!” 

He opened his eyes, staring groggily up at her. “W-what?” 

“We need to go! The tent is on fire!” 

That got him up and moving. Panic was evident in his expression as he tried to scramble to his feet. Marinette scooped up the mostly empty red backpack and grabbed Nathanael’s arm. 

“We have to run, now!” 

The stumbled out of the tent, only to find that the forest all around them was up in flames. Marinette spun in a circle, trying to find a way out. Chat, where are you when I need you? From what she could see, it was pretty-

“There!” She exclaimed. Her finger pointed to an opening in the flames. It was barely big enough to jump through. It was the only exit. 

“We won’t make it,” Nathanael insisted. 

“We have to try.” 

Hand in hand, Marinette and Nathanael rushed toward the opening. It took a minute of Marinette dragging Fox along before he finally got in the groove. He pulled ahead and jumped first. He safely hit the other side before the flames could lick at his skin. 

Marinette was not so lucky. 

She yelped from the flames but was able to backpedal before she had been engulfed. 

“Marinette!” Nathan shouted through the heat. 

“I’m okay! I’ll find a way out. Get to safety!” 

“No, I’m not leaving you!”

“You can’t stay here. You’re going to get burnt.” She met his gaze through the blaze. “I promise I’ll find you, okay? Find somewhere safe to hide.” She gave him a sad smile. “Be the sly fox I know you are.” 

Nathanael looked like he wanted to protest, but a tree next to them ended their conversation. The trunk cracked and, as a result, it began to fall. 

“Run!” Marinette demanded. She didn’t see his expression after that. The tree crashed to the ground, hot coals and heat flaring up from its base. Marinette screamed, the flames engulfing her for a painfully agonizing second. She hit the ground, coughing and gasping. The air had been stolen from her lungs. 

The fire closed in around her. The smoke filled the air until Marinette was positive that there was no more oxygen in the world. The flames around her grew closer and hotter. 

“C-chat,” she coughed out, “Chat, I need you…” She tried to crawl away, but the fire quickly ate it’s way onto her clothes. Another tree tipped, hitting the ground and covering Marinette in burning ash. She screamed with what air she had left. 

In desperation, she reached down to her waist holster. Her grappling hook was searing hot, but she knew that there was no other way out. 

Gripping it tightly, she bit back a scream and pulled it out. Pointing it into the unknown, smokey sky, she sent out a silent prayer. Please, get me out of here. 

BANG!

*** * ***

“She shot blindly!” Alec exclaimed, throwing his hands up. “You have to admit that it was a crazy move, Nadja!” 

“It was quite impressive,” Miss Chamach agreed. 

“Do you think she’ll have some serious burns?” he asked. 

Nadja nodded. “Without a doubt. The thing that concerns me the most is if she’ll be able to survive her injuries. The burns must be life threatening.” 

“Who knows? Maybe her protective charm will step back in.” 

“That _ is _ always a possibility, Alec. Anything’s possible in the Miraculous Games.”

 

_**\---** _

_**I hope you guys are liking the story so far! I have a lot more I could post, but I'm going to do it in small increments so it's easier for you guys to digest, haha.** _

_**Thanks for all of the support you guys are giving me. It really helps me keep going. :)** _

_**And, as always, have a miraculous day!** _


	16. Chapter Sixteen:

##  **Chapter Sixteen:**

 

Wind. Weightlessness. Snap. 

Marinette hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Her body stung, aching in pain. 

She moaned, trying to gasp in as much air as her lungs could hold. The heat had died down, but she could still smell smoke. She hadn’t gotten very far, that was evident. Patting herself down, she tried to rid herself of the last bits of flame from her remaining clothes. She cried out as she moved, thumping her burned body. 

Then, she heard rustling. Somebody was close. 

‘Oh, please don’t let it be an enemy Charm… Please, I’m already in enough pain.’ 

“B-back off,” she managed, trying to stumble to her feet. “I-I’m warning you…” 

The next thing she knew, she was swept off her feet. She yelped, gripping the person tightly. 

“Let me go!” 

“Ladybug, it’s okay. It’s me.” 

Blinking, Marinette looked up into their face. It was Nathanael. She breathed out. 

“Fox… Oh, I am so happy to see you…” 

He smiled. “Same here.” Around them, the trees began to catch fire. The flames were not done with Marinette. 

“We need to get out of here,” Fox muttered. “Hold tight.” 

“Nathanael, what- Woah!”

He took off in a sprint. Marinette wrapped herself around him, her arms linked around his neck. Pain stung her arms, legs, and chest. She wanted to scream, but she knew it would only distract Nathan from his task. As a substitute, she grasped his shirt and clenched her teeth. She risked a look over his shoulder. 

The fire was chasing them. It was after her. 

“We need to find shelter,” she rasped, her voice spent. 

“I know where we can go.” 

Jump, dash, weave, repeat. Dozens of trees raced by them only to be caught ablaze in a few seconds time. Finally, Nathanael’s grip tightened around her. 

“Hold on!” 

They dropped. The weightlessness returned and Marinette’s grip slackened. After a second, they hit rock bottom. Literally. Nathanael screamed out in pain, Marinette slipping out of his arms. Both tumbled over the rocks, scraping themselves on the hard ground. Marinette spun onto her back, looking up at the top of the hole they had just fallen into. Flames surrounded the opening, but due to the lack of shrubbery, it couldn’t come down after them. After a few minutes, the fired died into a dying smolder of ashes. 

Marinette swallowed weakly, pushing herself up. She winced and looked down at her right hand. It was starting to blister. 

Nathanael groaned, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Mari, are you okay?” he asked. 

Marinette shook her head, her arms trembling. Without even saying a word more, Nathan surged forward. He rested a hand on her back. Ladybug didn’t respond to his touch. Fox was cautious with his movements, attempting to touch her where she had no burns. 

“Can you move?” 

Marinette shifted, then grit her teeth. The adrenaline of the fire and chase had worn off, leaving Ladybug in excruciating pain. “No,” she replied between her teeth. 

Nathanael bit his lip, looking around at where they were. Marinette was in no shape to climb out of the hole. Putting another hand on her shoulder, he whispered, “I’m going to lay you down, okay?” 

She didn’t respond immediately. Her jaw slackened, her teeth no longer clenched. She could feel her body starting to become weaker, turning itself off. Lifting her head slowly, she looked into Nathanael's eyes. Her pupils were severely dilated. She opened her mouth to say something, but as she did so, her vision blurred and began to go black. 

The pain faded. She heard Nathanael exclaim something, but before she could discern what it was, she was gone. She blacked out. 

*** * ***

Chat landed on his small balcony, tumbling into his bathroom. He wasn’t sure how long he had been gone, but he was hoping less than an hour. After quickly changing and stuffing his costume under his sink, Adrien looked at himself in the mirror. His cheeks were crusted with dried tears and his eyes were red from crying. 

He turned away and rubbed his eye, trying to make it look like he hadn’t just been sobbing on the way back home. For good measure and so Natalie didn’t question his story, Adrien wet his hair down and attempted to towel dry it. When he finished, he stepped out of the bathroom. 

Outside, Nino was sitting on the couch, balancing on the edge of one of the cushions. He looked back at Adrien. 

“Dude, you have to see this.” 

He already knew what his friend was talking about. The TV he was watching was turned on to the coverage of the Miraculous Games. The clips they were showing the audience made Adrien’s stomach twist into a knot. 

A camera had somehow been able to capture the entire incident with Ladybug, Fox, and the fire. Adrien couldn’t pull his eyes away as he watched Marinette get trapped in the blaze, screaming and crying out for… 

Him. 

She had needed him, but he couldn’t have gotten there in time. He had let her down and now, she was burned and helpless. That was until Fox came running in to save her. Part of Adrien relaxed when he saw that Nathanael had been there to help her, but something inside of him recoiled with a hiss. No one touched his lady. 

With teeth clenched, he watched the rest of the scene take place. Fox and Ladybug had barely been able to escape the blaze by jumping into a cave behind some rocks, where the fire couldn’t get to them. Once they were there, however, Marinette passed out. The burns on her body were so serious, it was hard for Adrien to look straight at them. The blood, the nerve damage… 

He was visiting her. Tonight. 

*** * ***

Marinette moaned. She rolled over, then winced as pain shot up her spinal cord. She grit her teeth and winced as the pain of her burns came back to her, pounding her body with endless torment. 

“Shh… It’s okay. I’ll help you.” 

Ladybug looked up to see Fox laying next to her. He sat up and scooted closer to her. After a few minutes of agony, Marinette finally was able to move into a position that was comfortable for her. She let out a relieved breath, then looked up at Nathanael. 

“Thank you.” 

He smiled and shrugged. “It’s the least I could do.” He fell silent as he looked around at the cave nervously. A few minutes passed before he spoke again. “Marinette, I’ve been thinking for the past few hours and, well… I think it’s time I tell you my true feelings.” 

Marinette bit her lip. She recognized that line and it wasn’t a good sign. It was the code phrase. 

Her mind drifted back to the night before the games had started, when her and Chat had sat atop a rooftop and talked. For some reason, she felt like drawn to that, almost like proof that it was right. But then again, Chat had chosen to protect her in the games. Was she reading too much into it? 

Yet, she couldn’t let her or Nathanael die in these games. The only way to get support for the both of them would have to make them… well, together -- both literally and metaphorically. Nathan was her friend, after all. 

She sighed, then gave a single nod. “Okay… but how are we going to make it look realistic?” 

He smirked. “What do you mean,  _ look realistic _ ? It is real.” 

“W-what?”

Ladybug opened her mouth to say something, but the next thing she knew, Nathanael’s lips were tightly pressed against hers. Her eyes widened, but before she could pull away, Nathanael pulled just enough away to whisper: “Play along.” 

He went in again. Marinette forced herself to shove her emotions deep down into her soul, resisting the urge not to slap him. Nathanael was right, she had to play along. She finally understood his logic. A kiss would equal people rooting for them, thus helping both of them in the process. Besides, his lips were actually kinda soft… 

Without passion, she kissed him in return, holding him as close as she could without hurting herself. Her fingers ran through his hair softly before he slowly pulled away. She could feel his warm breath on her lips. 

“We can do this, Mari… I promise, we can win this.” 

She nodded, knowing that he was right. Deep in her heart, she knew they could win. 

Outside, something began to jingle. The pair furrowed their eyebrows and turned their attention to where the noise was coming from. Marinette moved to stand up, but Nathanael put a hand on her non-burned shoulder. 

“No, stay here. I’ll take care of it.” 

Ladybug nodded then leaned back against a rock. It supported her long enough for Nathanael to climb out of the cave, find whatever the noise was, and bring it down. With a smile on his face, he handed a small, tin canister with a note on top to her. 

“It has your name on it,” he reported, even though she could see that with her own eyes. 

With trembling hands, she picked up the note. It read the following: 

**_I know what you’re playing at, dudette, and, by golly, don’t let it backfire on you. Everyone can tell that Adrien is rooting for you.  -- Nino_ **

A spark of interest flared inside of her. She continued to open up the tin container. Once the top was popped open, she reached inside and pulled out a small jar. On top in black sharpie, it read: Fast-Healing Burn Cream. 

Marinette looked up at Nathanael. He gave her a proud smile; his plan must have come together perfectly.

 

_**\---** _

_**Did I just update again because I'm bored? Yeah... yeah, I did. Oops. Sorry math class.** _


	17. Chapter Seventeen:

##  **Chapter Seventeen:**

 

Adrien was fuming. Storming around his room and kicking the furniture was the only way he could express how angry he was. Luckily, he was alone so no one had to see his boiling temper. He wasn't the type that got angry very often, but when he did, everyone knew. Maybe that's why he hadn’t been bothered. 

Cursing, Adrien flopped back on his bed. He was breathing hard, but he didn't care. 

How dare Fox kiss his lady! Marinette was supposed to fall in love with him, not that tomato-head Fox-Face! Only because he couldn't be there  _ one time, _ Ladybug had chosen Fox over him. Not only did it rub Adrien’s heart in the dirt, but it made him feel useless. Did Marinette even care? He told her how he felt about her. How rude could she be?

Sighing, Adrien glanced over at his alarm clock. It read 8:34pm. He grumbled. He could go join Ladybug in the arena if he really wanted to. But did he? Did he really want to go inquire about it and/or confront Fox? 

He smirked. That could be fun. He could dangle him from a tree and give him a piece of his mind. Yeah. That sounded like fun. 

Getting to his feet, Adrien peeked out into the hallway outside of his room. A few maids were moseying around, but no one paid him any attention. Good to go. 

He popped back into his room and rushed to the bathroom. It was time for an adventure. 

*** * ***

Jumping into the arena, Chat’s green eyes scanned the forest floor for anyone who would think of coming after him. His high-tech cat ears, as well as his own ears, listened intently. After hearing nobody nearby, Chat got down on all fours and began to run. Occasionally, he would jump up into the trees to avoid bushes, creeks, and nasty traps that blocked his path. Even though he couldn’t see them, they were there, waiting for the slightest pressure of a foot to go off. He had installed the map of the arena into his glasses, giving him the full layout of the entire arena. 

What also was nice about the map was that there were small color-coded blips that represented each Charm. Ladybug’s was red, Fox’s orange, Queen Bee’s yellow, etc. Finding Marinette was the easy part. What he also saw was kind of discomforting. Fox’s orange blip was right next to, and partly on top of, the red one. 

Suspicious? 

Oh yeah. 

After climbing through the trees for a little while, Chat found the area where the two Charms were hanging out. He dropped to the ground, glanced around, but saw nobody. They should have been right here. 

Then, his high-tech ears heard something. A variation of smacking, only softer. 

Furrowing his eyebrows, he scanned the area. There was nothing but trees, rocks, and-- Rocks. 

Making his way over to the pile of rocks near his right, he noticed a hole that stuck out of the grass. He crept forward, leaning down to look into the pit. He froze. It wasn’t smacking that he heard. 

It was kissing. And what didn’t help was that he could hear Marinette moaning. 

Oh, he was pissed now. 

Jumping down into the hole in a single bound, the ground rumbled under his feet. Nathanael and Marinette spun toward him, surprised at his presence, but before either could say anything, Chat stormed over to the Fox. 

“What in the name of the President are you doing?!” Nathanael squeaked as Chat gripped his t-shirt, lifting him off the ground a few feet. “This is no time for making out with my lady! You two are in a fight to the death, and if you were smart, you’d get involved with the action out there and not what’s going on between you and Ladybug!”

“Chat!” Marinette scolded. 

He looked down at her with blazing eyes. “What? Do you have anything to defend yourself with?” 

Her glare could have melted him back into submission on any other day, but this was a special occasion. If Chat didn’t get an answer right away, he was going to explode. 

“Chat, he was only putting ointment on my leg, you dimwit! Look!” 

He looked at where she was pointing. In Nathanael’s trembling hands, he saw a small jar of clear ointment in one hand while the lid was in the other. Narrowing his eyes into slits, he studied Nathanael’s trembling chin, fearful eyes, and runny nose. With a growl, he dropped him like a rag doll. The poor kid landed on his butt in the dirt. Chat turned to Marinette and folded his arms. 

“I deserve a better explanation that just the ointment. I’ve seen the news recently, and no one needs to tell me that you two had a little kissy-kissy session.” 

Marinette swallowed, then sighed. “Look, Chat, I can explain when this is all over, okay?” 

“How about you explain right now?” 

She glared at him, throwing daggers with her irritation, but she eventually turned her gaze to Nathanael. 

“Nathan, do you think you could get us something to eat? It’s dark out, so you won’t be seen as easily.” 

“Y-yeah. Of course.” 

And, just like that, Nathanael was out of there like a startled deer. Once he was out of the hole and, presumably, out of earshot, Chat let his words spill out. 

“What is going on, Mari?” 

She sighed, then winced as she tried to move her burned legs. Even though he was angry with her, Chat had to admit that part of him wanted to drop it all just so Marinette wouldn’t strain herself. But answers came first. 

“We’re being watched; you know that better than anyone.” 

“And what is that supposed to mean? That you can run around with any boy you choose?” 

She scowled at him. “You’re being overdramatic.” 

“Well, excuse me, but you’re the one in the deadly arena kissing your partner. I figured you would like some of your own medicine.” 

“Will you shut up and listen to me?!” Marinette hissed. “I can’t tell you everything right now. If I say the wrong thing, it could blow everything out of the water.” She let some her anger ooze away, her sincerity shining through in her eyes. “I still haven’t forgotten what you told me, Chat, the night when you whisked me away. I would never have done what I did unless I believed that things could work out. They may be complicated right now, but I can promise you that everything will make sense in due time. Once the eyes stop watching, I will tell you everything; any detail you want to know, I’ll spill. Just…” she trailed off as she dropped her irritation completely and stared into his eyes. “Just please don’t give up on me… I haven’t given up on you.” 

Chat’s anger slowly slipped away, and he had the desperate urge to kiss her, but he bit his lip and turned away. No, they still needed to heal. He couldn’t play mind games with her, he refused to. 

“I trust you, Ladybug,” he muttered quietly, “I trust you with all of my heart. I hope you understand how much that means to me and how serious it is…” 

They didn’t meet each other’s gaze, yet they both knew that everything would be alright. It would take time, but Chat could eventually show her how he really felt. 

Curse those cameras, he thought. If they weren’t there, all of their problems would be over. 

*** * ***

The Game Master mumbled, scratching his chin as he stared down at the arena’s map. Things were getting very complicated extremely quickly. 

“A love square, huh?” he muttered to himself. “Maybe this can be my chance to put my plan into action…” 

He flicked his finger, causing the holographic map to zoom in. After pressing a button, a camera’s view popped up. It showed a timid, red-head teenager drawing in the ground with a stick. The fox miraculous gleamed on his jacket. The Game Master smiled cruelly, analysing the boy with more curiosity. 

Fox had just made his plan a whole lot easier. 

_**\---** _

_**Sorry for such a short chapter! Updates are coming soon!** _


	18. Chapter Eighteen:

##  **Chapter Eighteen:**

 

The sound of crunching leaves made Nathanael stiffen. He froze, flicking his attention up from the dirt to all around him. Someone was close by. 

What should he do? Marinette wasn’t here to help him. She was having her own personal session with Egotistical-Noir in the cave. Which Charm was after him? Which one hated him now? It couldn’t be Queen Bee, she was too girly to come alone. Did someone hear his mumbling? 

A twig snapped. Nathanael spun around, getting to his feet as fast as he could and using the stick he held as a weapon. 

“B-back off,” he stuttered to the darkness, trying to be brave, “I-I’m warning you. I have a… a stick. Yeah, a m-magical stick that could impale someone straight through their chest.” He brandished the stick he held, attempting to lie his way to victory. In all reality, though, the stick would snap if anyone tried to fight him. 

More rustles in the trees. Nathanael gulped, his nerves causing his legs to wobble and his hands to shake. The next thing he knew, he was sent flying sky high. He couldn’t help it; he screamed like a girl. 

*** * ***

Marinette jumped at the sound of Nathan’s scream. She spun around and attempted to get to her feet, but Chat gripped her shoulder. 

“Don’t,” he ordered, “I’ll go find him.” 

She turned to glare at him. “Chat, I can help. Just because I’m hurt doesn’t mean I’m useless.” 

“Ladybug, please.” Chat’s eyes pleaded with hers. “I can’t have you get hurt any more than you already are. I’m here to protect you and that is what I’m going to do. Please,” he brushed her cheek, “stay here.” 

And with that, he bounded out of the cave. Marinette sat on the dirt floor, stunned at how he had treated her. Stay here? Heck no. No matter how much she cared about her cat, she was not going to let Fox get hurt. 

She listened, silently trying to piece together the sounds that she heard. Crunching leaves must have meant footsteps. Chat’s voice. What was going on up there? And why wasn’t Nathan responding to Chat’s calls? 

Pulling herself up to her feet, Marinette winced. Pain flared in her arms and legs, and though it was toned down thanks to the medicine, she could still feel the soreness in her muscles. Chat had been right. She needed to rest and stay here so her body could repair itself. 

But if that meant losing her district partner, she would have to take the risk. Besides, she had already promised him that they would both make it out alive. If he could fight, then so could she. 

Marinette stumbled across the rocks, climbing her way up to the cave entrance. Pebbles slid under her feet, her weak body unprepared for the slipping and the sliding to occur. Chat and Fox had made it look easy… 

By the time she was halfway to the top, she heard Chat cry out in surprise. Marinette’s heart skipped a beat, which then caused her to slip on a pebble and slam her chin into a bolder. Groaning, she rubbed her chin and tried to climb quicker. Though her body protested, the will of her mind won out. No one was going to hurt her friends and get away with it. 

Ladybug crawled out of the top of the cave, breathing hard. She looked around to see if she could find Fox or Chat, yet no matter where she turned her gaze, they weren’t there. 

“Chat?” she called out, scanning the ground for any traps he could have fallen into. “Chat? Fox?” She spun in a circle, her limbs aching, her eyes searching for anything out of the ordinary. 

“Well well, looks like the bug finally decided to fly out of it’s hiding hole.” 

Marinette whipped around to face a girl with blonde hair tucked into two ponytails and blue eyes that were as cold as ice. Ladybug didn’t recognize her at first. Then, as her brain caught up to the action, she realized it was a Charm, not that her Polar Bear necklace gave it away or anything. It was Aurora. 

“What did you do with Chat and Fox?” 

Aurora, Polar Bear, laughed, tossing her head back. “Oh, for being the favorite, you’re not very smart, are you?” 

Marinette scowled, but before she could say anything, Polar gestured above her. Ladybug followed her gaze and froze -- yet her freezing was much different than her friends. They were encased in full blocks of ice, frozen in fear, hanging high in the treetops. Nathanael’s terrified face and Chat’s shocked expression was enough to make Marinette’s blood boil. 

“Let them go, Polar!” 

Her opponent chuckled, popping a hip. “Why should I? Besides, I’ve been given special orders and a special reward if I’m able to knock you out of the game.” 

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. “What? What do you mean?” 

“Oh, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to succeed anyway, HA!” Polar waved her arms and ice flew out of her fingertips. Marinette was barely able to dive out of the way before they hit her. The tree behind her was soon covered in sharp ice shards. 

“Dodging won’t do you any good, Ladybug!” Polar taunted, cackling evilly. “Soon, you’ll run out of energy and be forced into my cage!” 

Another sheet of deadly ice. Marinette yelped, hitting the ground and covering her head just before the ice hit her. The poor bush behind her that had been minding its own business was now embedded with spikes of ice. Rolling, Ladybug was barely able to miss another shot from her opponent. 

“What do you want from me?” Marinette yelled. “I don’t have anything to offer!” 

“Yes, you do!” Polar insisted, her breath turning into steam as she created ice in her hands. “If I kick you out of the games, it’s one less opponent we all have to worry about. And, besides, having you choose between which boy you’re going to save is entertaining!” She chucked the ice balls in her hands. Marinette was barely able to miss them by rolling away from the blast zone. Polar was right about one thing, though. She couldn’t save both boys. 

“It can’t be just that,” she insisted, getting cautiously to her feet. “There has to be another reason.” 

Polar scoffed, tossing one of her blonde pigtails behind her shoulder. “Why should I tell you?” 

“Because I’m probably going to die anyway. I can’t share anything if I’m dead,” Marinette answered, carefully taking a few steps toward Nathanael’s frozen cage above. 

Spreading her hands, Polar smiled. “I promised I wouldn’t tell the amazing prize when I kicked you out. Looks like you’re going to have to watch me from the outside!” She waved her arms and a giant window-sized pane of ice hurdled toward Marinette. Ladybug squeaked and ducked, but not before the side of the sharp, flying, frozen water hit her arm and left her with a decently sized cut. She winced, then glared at her. 

“It’s not like anyone’s going to hear you! Just spit it out, what do you want with me and my friends?” 

She laughed. “You mean weak Fox and the protective Charm? Fox will be easy to dispose of, he has no worth to me. Your protective charm on the other hand… Yes, he will make a great bodyguard for me.” 

“He’s not going to agree to that! Chat would never work for someone else!” 

Polar raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And why wouldn’t he? With his first charm gone, he’s going to have to choose another, and I’ll make sure it’s me!” Thrusting her hands, she sent another wave of ice toward Ladybug. Marinette barely missed getting a mouthful of it. 

_ Come on, Chat. What would you do? Who would you save? _

She already knew the answer to that. Even if he hated Nathanael out of jealousy, he would always put Fox first. There was no question in it. But Marinette couldn’t just leave Chat. She cared about him, and she wasn’t going to let her kitty be taken from her. 

Ladybug scanned her surroundings. There wasn’t a lot to go off of, but the more she looked, the more of her plan began to come together. As she was analyzing the tree that Chat’s block of ice hung in, something flashed in her vision. An animal? 

Marinette dove behind a tree to save herself from being hit with ice. Her gaze flicked back to the tree branches, searching for what she saw before. There. A branch above Chat. It was another girl with brown hair. Ladybug moaned. Please don’t be working with Polar Bear… 

The girl in the tree caught Marinette’s attention. She waved, then pointed below her to Chat. Ladybug blinked. What was she doing?

“Come on, Ladybug!” Polar taunted. “Don’t make me come find you!” 

She glanced around the base of the tree. Polar saw her, then thrust another sheet of ice toward her. She yelped, pressing her back against the tree as she missed the ice. What was she going to do? She couldn’t move unless she wanted to be blasted by the snow queen, which she didn’t. 

CRASH! 

Ladybug jumped at the sound of something smashing and heard Polar Bear scream. She quickly looked around the tree. She couldn’t believe what she saw. Chat was out of his ice prison, shaking off the snow that was caked on his leather jacket and getting to his feet. He brandished his staff, elongating it so it hovered a couple inches away from Polar’s face. She had fallen on her bum, looking up at Chat with anger. 

“Well, well, looks like I finally get to see my attacker,” he joked. 

Polar sneered. “How did you get down from there?”

He shrugged. “Dunno. What matters right now is kicking you out of the games.” 

“No! I’m not leaving!” 

Ladybug came out from behind the frozen tree, and said, “Suit yourself.” She looked at Chat. “Hold her down, will you? We’ll get Nathanael out as soon as we kick this girl out of here.” 

He smiled. “It would be my pleasure, my lady.” 

Before he could even lay a hand on her, Polar crawled to her feet. “I’m not going down without a fight! I’ll make you all pay!” Cupping her hands together, ice and snow began to swirl around her fingertips. She focused hard, the ball of magic growing bigger and wilder. Both Ladybug and Chat stepped back, preparing for the worst. 

“You will not take me down!” She shouted. “I am the great Polar Bear! The best of the Charms! I have been given--” 

CRASH! 

Nathanael’s cage slammed into her, smashing into a million pieces on impact. Polar screamed, collapsing to the ground under her own ice. Ladybug and Chat stared in shock. Fox, completely unscathed, moaned and got to his feet, rubbing the ice out of his hair. 

“W-what..? What’s going on?” 

Snapping out of her shock, Marinette rushed forward and knelt down next to Aurora. She pulled the polar bear charm off of her neck. As she began to fade, Ladybug glared at her. 

“Nobody hurts my friends. Ever.” 

In a flash of purple, Polar Bear was gone. Ladybug took a deep breath and got to her feet. The necklace in her hand was freezing cold, but she pinned it onto her jacket anyway. Chat extended a hand to Nathan and pulled him up to his feet. 

“Thanks,” Fox said, shivering slightly. 

“No problem.”

Just then, something hit the ground next to them. The trio spun around. The brown haired girl who had saved Chat and Fox stood there with a hand popped on her hip. Her green eyes shone with knowledge and something Marinette couldn’t place. 

“Glad to see you all made it out alive,” the girl said. She held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Lila the Raven.” 

Chat immediately shook her hand. “Same for you. Thank you for getting us out of there.” 

She shrugged. “Eh, it was no problem. Besides, I wanted to be able to help my fellow charms. Especially you, Ladybug.” 

Ladybug folded her arms, scanning her skeptically. “Uh-huh? How long are you planning on doing this ‘helping’ deal?” 

“As long as I can,” she admitted. “Besides, President Agreste told me that I had to save as many people as possible so his son can choose correctly.” 

Chat furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait, you know President Agreste?” 

“Don’t we all,” Fox muttered under his breath, dusting his arms off. 

Lila nodded. “I do. I was specifically chosen by him, after all.” She gave Chat and Ladybug a dazzling smile. “Let’s just say we’ve had many a-chat about my life after these games.” 

Marinette narrowed her eyes. “Oh yeah? And what is it going to be? Lounging in a palace made of gold?” 

Raven laughed. “No, silly bug! If I win, I get his son Adrien. Simple. His father has already approved of me.” 

Ladybug clenched her fists. She wanted to deck this girl in the face, but she took a deep breath. “Well, thank you for helping us. Now, if you’ll please excuse us, morning is going to be coming in a couple hours and we need to go find food.” She turned to leave, pulling Nathanael with her, but Chat put a hand on her shoulder. 

“My lady, don’t you think you’re being a little rude? She did just save our lives.” 

Glancing at Lila out of the corner of her eye, Marinette couldn’t help but think he was right. She was being kinda mean. But she was after Adrien just because President Agreste gave her permission to win. 

She couldn’t help but feel like her role as a raven didn’t fit her quite right. Then again, they did only have a few hours to come up with animals. Maybe her style team ran out of time. 

Ladybug looked back at Lila. She was standing in the middle of the clearing, watching Marinette with anticipation. Then, she sighed. 

“Fine. What do you want me to do?”

Chat shrugged. “I don’t mind if she comes with us. Besides, she said she wanted to help. She’s probably as hungry as we are.”

Nathanael pulled his arm out of Marinette’s grasp. “I think Chat’s right. As much as I don’t like her, we might as well take her to find some food.” 

“And I know the perfect spot,” Chat added. “There isn’t a lot of food in this area of the arena. Just let her tag along with us for a day. We won’t get to the place in one night, I know that much. We can help her for that amount of time. Just a day.” 

Marinette looked between Fox and Chat. If the two were agreeing on something, it had to be worth it, right? She let out a long sigh then turned back to face Lila. 

“Do you want to come with us to find food?” she offered. 

Her face lit up with a bright smile, her green eyes sparkling. “I would love to.” 


	19. Chapter Nineteen:

##  **Chapter Nineteen:**

 

Night fell in the arena, though a lot sooner than it should have. Chat looked up into the sky, then pulled out his staff. He opened it and checked the time. 

“That’s odd…”

“What is it?” Marinette asked, eyeing Lila suspiciously. Blame was immediately placed on her. 

“It shouldn’t be getting dark.” 

Nathanael huffed. “They’re just trying to speed the games up” 

Lila furrowed her eyebrows and popped a hip. “But why would they want that? There are, at least, eight of us left.”  

“They must have a time frame that they need to stick to,” Marinette said. “The Game Master and his minion must have tricks up their sleeves.” 

Chat nodded. “You’re probably right, LB. I’ll be sure to do some…” he waved his hands randomly to fill in the blank that he knew he couldn’t say in the arena.

“Until then,” Lila butted in, “we should set up camp.” 

Ladybug folded her arms. “Why? We’re fine enough to keep going.” 

Chat bit his lip, then looked at her. His eyes looked her up and down, analyzing how serious her burns were. Thanks to Nathanael and the healing salve, it had been getting better, but it wasn’t as good as Chat would have wanted. 

“No, I agree with Lila. We need to set up a camp for the night.” 

Nathanael caught onto what Chat was referring to. He nodded. “Yeah, I’m with those two.” He turned his attention to Marinette. “Ladybug, you aren’t exactly in the best condition to keep walking.” 

Marinette scowled, then folded her arms. Though they were blistered and red, and she did want to take a small rest, she wasn’t backing down. “I’m fine. I can keep going. I’m not some sort of fragile porcelain doll that can break easily.” 

“We have enough supplies to make it through the night,” Lila insisted. “Taking one night to rest isn’t too bizarre.” 

“No!” Ladybug snapped. “We need food and supplies. I can keep going, so we all should.” 

Chat glanced at Lila and Fox, then sighed. “You two start setting up camp. I need to talk to Ladybug.” 

As the two other people from their group, Chat stepped toward her and put a hand on her arm. He glanced around, then led her behind a tree. 

“Chat?” Marinette muttered. “What are you-?” 

He faced her then put both hands on her shoulders. His eyes stared deeply into hers. 

“My Lady, what is going on?” 

Marinette glanced back at their camp, then sighed. 

“I don't trust her. She has an air about her that…” she shivered. “Something's wrong, Chat. Something is odd about her and I can't put my finger on it.”

Chat sighed and dropped his hands, resting them on his hips. “My lady, I can't help but say that you're being very cold.”

“Cold?” she repeated, her tone defensive. “This is a deadly competition. We could be killed if we do the wrong thing!”

“But that doesn't mean we push people away if the need help.”

Ladybug sighed. “Look, Chat, it's not that I don’t want to help, I just want to keep Fox and you safe. This place is dangerous and I can't, I won't, let the people I care about get hurt.” 

Chat raised an eyebrow, surprised by her response. “You care about Fox and me, then?”

“Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?” 

“Just wondering.” He folded his arms. “My lady, promise me one thing.” 

She nodded. 

“Promise me you’ll, at least, be nice to Lila. We don't know what she’s been through, okay?”

Marinette scowled but nodded. “Fine. I'll be nice, but nothing more.” 

Chat smiled, then embraced her in a hug. “Thank you, bugaboo.”

“Ladybug!” Raven called from camp. “I need your help with something!” 

“Yeah, you better not be doing anything stupid!” Nathanael joined in. 

Marinette pulled away, taking a deep breath and tucking some of her stray strands behind her ear. “I’m coming.”

“And we weren’t doing anything stupid,” Chat yelled in return. There were a few chuckles from the two other charms, but nothing was said in return. He turned his attention back to Ladybug. “I have to go for a few minutes. When I get back, you can get some sleep and we’ll go find food. I know of a special place, a tree to be specific, where we can get some fruit. Behave yourself, okay?”

She nodded, and the next thing she knew, Chat launched himself up into the trees and bounded away. Clearing her throat and straightening her jacket, Marinette stepped out of the trees. As she made her way over to the camp, she couldn’t help but notice that there was no one there. She blinked, looking around for Fox and Lila. Where could they have gone? 

“Chat?” Marinette turned to look back at where he had left, but he wasn’t anywhere close either. She didn’t like this. Something must have happened. Where was Fox? He wouldn’t have left her, would he?

“There you are.” 

Ladybug jumped and spun around, grasping at her belt only to remember that she had lost her grappling gun in the fire. In her frantics, Nathanael and Lila had stepped out of the trees, both holding armfuls of firewood. 

“Woah, Marinette. You don’t wanna hurt yourself,” Fox warned, walking around her and setting down the wood. 

Marinette exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “Sorry, I just couldn’t find you and I assumed the worst.” She made sure not to include Lila in her statement.

“You’re too on edge, bug,” Raven insisted. “Lighten up. It’s almost time to get to bed anyway.” 

“Do you plan on just sleeping out here on the hard ground?” 

She shrugged. “It’s not like we have a tent. Are you hiding one from us?” 

Marinette scowled. “No, I lost most of our camping stuff in the fire.” 

“Oooh, I heard about that.” Lila put down the firewood and dusted off her hands. “I hear you were a total baby about it.” 

“You try being caught on fire and about to die, then maybe you’re attitude would change,” Ladybug muttered under breath. Luckily, Lila didn’t hear her. 

“Hey, leave her alone,” Fox insisted. “It was pretty scary.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” Lila put a hand on Ladybug’s shoulder, but she shrugged it off. 

“No, it’s fine. Let’s just set up camp and go to bed,” she said. 

The three of them got to work on setting up a campfire and a few traps that would catch other charms if they planned on sneaking up on them. Chat hadn’t returned yet, which was starting to bother Marinette. He had promised to only be gone a couple minutes, but he had been gone for at least a half an hour. Maybe more. 

Lila, Nathanael, and Marinette sat around the campfire, warming their hands and other chilly limbs. Fox and Raven sat close to each other while Marinette sat on the other side of the fire, watching the trees for any sign of movement. He would know not to walk on the ground, wouldn’t he? 

“You seem distracted, bug,” Lila said, interrupting Marinette’s train of thought. “Is something bothering you?” 

Ladybug sneered but bit her lip in order to turn it into a forced smile. “Just worried about Chat, that’s all.” 

Lila leaned in. “I have a question about him; are you two together?” 

Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette saw Nathanael stiffen like he didn’t agree with the topic. But, in order to be nice to Raven, Ladybug decided to answer her. 

“No, we aren’t. He’s just a really good friend.” 

“I see. Well, whoever he is under that mask must be pretty good looking.” 

Marinette hadn’t thought about it like that, but now that Lila had mentioned it, she couldn’t help but let her mind go down that path. She had always thought that Chat was, well, Chat Noir, the pun-loving, protective charm that had become her close friend and her, admittedly, had a small crush on. Yet, she had never imagined what the boy underneath the mask looked like. It was weird, thinking that Chat was some other person entirely. Outside the arena, he was just a normal boy, like her. A boy who had a life with school, activities, and a family. 

Marinette knit her eyebrows, thinking deeply. What was the true Chat like? Did he have freckles? Did he play football, basketball, or maybe even tennis? Did he have a girlfriend? Had he been assigned to her for a job? 

“Yoo-hoo? Earth to Ladybug.” 

Ladybug shook her head, trying to pull herself out of her train of thought. She looked up to see Nathanael waving at her. 

“Hey, come on. We’re going to bed.” 

She blinked. “Oh. Alright, but who is staying up to watch us?” 

He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “Lila will since Chat isn’t back.” 

Marinette narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. “No, I don’t think so. I’ll do first watch. Besides, she doesn’t know how we do it.” 

Nathanael shrugged. “Okay, whatever you think is best.” 

He turned around and walked over to Lila, who had moved over to check on one of the traps. Ladybug watched as Fox talked to Raven about the change of plans. Though she looked miffed about the change, Marinette heard her agree.

The two of them avoided contact the rest of the night. Marinette prepared herself to stay up late by resting up against a tree while Fox and Raven tucked themselves in as best they could on the hard ground. They used their jackets for pillows and laid close to each other for warmth. Without a single good night exchanged, Lila and Nathanael fell asleep. 

Marinette sighed, running her fingers through the dirt as the fake moonlight split through the leaves above them. Some of the leaves appeared to be glass, glowing in such radiant light. Ladybug knew the truth, though. It was just a giant spotlight giving light to the trapped Charms. Thinking of it like that, most of the beauty of the moment was stolen. This whole place was a dangerous trap, no matter how pretty it was. 

Hours passed, and Marinette’s eyes began to droop. Looks like it was time to switch out. Where was her silly cat?

Right as she was about to get up, something hard shoved her up against the tree. Gasping, Marinette clutched at her throat. Something tight stopped her from breathing. She kicked and thrashed, but something pressed down on top of her. With wide eyes, Marinette stared at Lila in shock. The charm she had attempted to be nice to have her pinned to a tree with no way to escape and one of her feminine hands was digging into her neck. Her nails stabbed into her already burned flesh, but Marinette couldn’t scream out for help. 

Raven chuckled, leaning in and giving her a cruel smile. “Well well, looks like the mighty Ladybug actually fell into my trap.” 

Marinette’s mouth was wide open, but she couldn’t say a word. Her eyes were slowly starting to tunnel due to the lack of oxygen in her system. Every part of her body screamed to run, but she couldn’t move. Lila’s legs had her immobilized. 

“Oh, and I would stop thrashing if I were you. It’s not like you’re going to get out of my hold anyway. It took so much patience, waiting for the right time to kick you out of these games.” She narrowed her eyes, and if her eyes were mean before, they were murderous now. “Nobody is stealing  _ my _ Adrien. President Agreste promised me that if I won, I would get more than just his son; I would have control of the entire country!” 

_ Chat, why are you always gone for these kinds of things?  _

With one of her hands, Ladybug punched Lila square in the jaw. Her attacker fell back off of her, and Marinette’s breath returned. She gasped, coughing and gulping in as much air as she could. Lila rubbed her cheek in shock, then turned on her, her eyes flashing. 

“You’re gonna pay for that!” 

Ladybug dove just in time to avoid her attack. Raven hit the tree, growled, then launched herself on top of Marinette. The two of them scratched, kicked, and cried out as they rolled along the uneven ground. Lila was able to pull off Marinette’s jacket while Ladybug yanked on her hair. Raven screeched in pain, dropping the jacket, but before Marinette could grab it, her opponent pushed her away. Ladybug’s pin was fully exposed, not longer protected by her warm jacket. 

Thought it was cold outside, it didn’t stop her from fighting like her life depended on it. She kicked Lila, sending her sprawling on the ground. Raven coughed, wiping her lip only to discover that it was cut and bleeding. 

Before she could pounce again, however, something black flashed across Marinette’s vision, and the next thing she knew, Lila was hanging high in the tree by her muddy jacket and black shirt. 

“Let me go!” she demanded, thrashing her legs back and forth and yanking on her clothing. 

“Never,” a chilling voice responded. “You hurt my lady, and you’re the one who’s going to pay for hurting her.” 

Marinette’s jaw dropped as she watched Chat Noir full-force punch her stomach. Lila cried out, crumpling like a rag doll. Ladybug covered her mouth in shock as her protective charm swung his fist, hitting her nose. Raven screamed, blood starting to pour down her lips and chin. 

“Chat! Stop it!” Ladybug shouted. 

He looked back her her, his green eyes dilated with rage. She was taken aback by his appearance, but she forced herself to take authority over the situation. “Put her down and hold her there while I take her pin.” 

Though she didn’t get a swift response from him, he did as he was told. Chat pulled his baton out of the tree and Lila screamed as she fell. She hit the ground, moaning and coughing. Chat jumped, his boots hitting the ground with a stiff thump! He glared down at her, then placed one foot on her chest. 

“If you try to get away, I punch you again, are we clear?” 

Weakly, Lila nodded, wiping her nose of blood. It appeared to be broken. 

Ladybug limped over, stretching out her limbs and trying to get over the pain of the scratches Raven had left across her healing burns. Once she reached her opponent, she bent down and wrapped her fingers around the black feather charm that was around her neck. Before she yanked it off, however, Marinette locked eyes with Lila. 

“Adrien Agreste is not an object to be won,” she stated seriously. “He is a living human being who deserves someone, anyone, better than you.” 

Raven opened her mouth to respond, but Ladybug snapped her necklace. Lila disappeared in a morphing shade of purple and a flash of silver. 

Letting out a frustrated breath, Chat stepped back and tucked his baton back into its holder. “I’m sorry I’m late. I got caught up with some other charms.” 

Marinette took some much-needed gulps of air, sitting back on her knees. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” 

“No, it’s not.” 

Ladybug looked up just as Chat knelt down and threw his arms around her. She was surprised at the motion at first, but eventually, she relaxed and melted into the hug. 

“I am so sorry, Marinette. I didn’t mean to leave you when you needed me the most. And, most of all…” He tucked his head into the space between her neck and shoulder. “I was wrong… I was wrong about Raven, and I am so sorry you had to go through that pain. It’s all my fault…” 

Marinette shook her head and threaded one of her hands into his hair, brushing his cat-like ears. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. I dropped my defenses when I should have been ready and sharp.”

Chat lifted his head a little bit, looking up into her eyes. “But you were right about her intentions. I should have listened to you, I’m so sorry…” 

Marinette caught the glance at her lips that he thought she wouldn’t notice. Though her skin pricked with pain, her heart began to thump. No doubt her cheeks were turning pink, but she hoped that he didn’t see them do so. 

With a gloved hand, Chat reached forward and tucked it into the crook of her neck. In response, Marinette didn’t realize that she slipped the hand that wasn’t in his soft hair across his back. With the fake moonlight reflecting off of his mask, he leaned in. Ladybug followed suit, tilting her head just right. Their noses brushed, Marinette’s eyes closed, and the next thing she knew, she was kissing her protector charm. 

Chat wrapped his other arm behind her back, deepening the kiss a little bit more. Ladybug dug her fingers into his hair, twirling it between her fingers. She couldn’t help but smile, and though she knew she would most likely regret it later, she felt so free. There were no games, no Fox to look after, and no Adrien. It was just her and Chat. 

Slowly, Chat pulled away and brushed Marinette’s cheek. His gloves were so smooth, reminding Marinette of silk, even though they were made of seemingly impenetrable leather. 

“I am so sorry, my lady. Please, forgive me, I didn’t mean to be so forward.” 

Opening her eyes, she gave him a small smile. “It’s okay. I’m glad you’re here, Chat. I don’t know what I would do without you.” 

He smiled, his green eyes crinkling in the corners. He pulled her in for one more hug, squeezing her tightly. 

“Of course, bugaboo. Anything for you.” 

Ladybug grinned, yet as she did so, something caught her eye. Glancing up, she noticed that the sky was growing lighter. Sighing, she pulled away. 

“You need to go. Dawn’s fast approaching.” 

He nodded, taking her hands and helping her stand. “I’ll be back tonight, I promise.” 

She laughed. “You better be. Promise not to get into any trouble?” 

Chat gave her a lopsided, mischievous smile as he pulled out his baton. “You know me too well, my lady.” 

With a final salute, he extended his staff and went soaring up into the sky, his silhouette disappearing behind some trees. Marinette smiled giddily, biting her lip and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she watched the sky turn from black to purple. 

Nothing could have been more perfect. 

However, one onlooker saw everything that had happened. With a tear tracing his cheek, Nathanael rolled over on the ground and shut his eyes. Surely, it must have been a nightmare. 


	20. Chapter Twenty:

##  **Chapter Twenty:**

 

Adrien drummed his fingers, watching the TV with the intensity of a ninja. Or a ninja cat, more like it. His mind was racing a thousand miles an hour, so much so that it was hard to keep everything straight in his brain. 

He had done it. He had kissed Ladybug. 

What was so surprising, other than the fact that he had actually kissed her, was the fact that she hadn’t pushed him away. She had kissed him back. As joyous as he was, Adrien couldn’t turn off the nagging thought that she might have just done it for show. He hadn’t realized at the time, but the kiss had been caught on camera. It had been on replay for the past several hours as Alec and Nadja gossiped about it. Every time it turned on, Adrien would get a stupid grin on his face, relishing in the beautiful moment they had shared.

Something else bothered him, too. Though the kiss had felt real to him, Alec and Nadja had been comparing it to the kiss Ladybug had given Fox. The two hosts had sent out a poll to the audience to see which kiss they had enjoyed better. They also included a different poll for the audience to vote for who they thought would win Adrien’s heart. The results had not come in yet. 

Recaps from the previous night began to scroll by. As Adrien watched Queen Bee plead for her life, there was a knock on his bedroom door. He turned to look over his shoulder as the door opened. Nathalie stepped inside, her clipboard stacked with papers and her tired eyes looking up at him. For a moment, Adrien felt pity for the poor woman. 

“Adrien, your father wishes to see you.” 

He got to his feet. “I’ll be there in a moment. Thank you, Nathalie.” 

Nathalie nodded, then closed the door as she left. 

Biting his lip, Adrien tucked his phone into his pocket. If Ladybug needed him, his phone would notify him. He just hoped it wouldn’t go off while he visited with his father. 

Adrien made his way to the door, but before he left, he glanced back at the TV. Alec and Mrs. Chamach were discussing ‘FireFox’, the ship name the audience had come up with. Furrowing his eyebrows, Adrien listened closely. Had the results come in?

“Honestly, I think their relationship is stronger,” Alec was saying. “Ladybug is a strong-willed woman, everyone knows that.”

“However,” Nadja interrupted, “Fox seems to unlock a certain part of her that Chat, her protector charm, never gets to see.” 

“That may be true, but I think we need to see what our viewers voted for. They decide the fate of most people in the arena.” 

Adrien raised an eyebrow. That was an idea. Maybe he didn’t just have to help in the arena. Maybe Chat Noir could make a public appearance… 

The results were revealed. The screen was split in half, one side labeled ‘FireFox’ with a picture of Marinette and Nathanael kissing, the other labeled ‘MariChat’ with Marinette and him. Percentages showed up, starting at 0 then rapidly climbing. Adrien bit his lip, switching between the two percentages. Which would be higher? 

The numbers stopped, and there was no taking them back now. 

_ FireFox - 62% _

_ MariChat - 38% _

“Wow!” Alec commented. “Looks like FireFox won by a landslide!” 

“Well, the public has spoken,” Nadja said. “I wonder how their relationship will blossom, especially after having Fox see Chat kiss Ladybug last night.” 

Adrien’s eyes widened.  _ What? _ Nathan  _ saw _ them? 

“Indeed. Who knows how FireFox will work once the games are over. To be honest, part of me wants them to win, but then they’ll be separated.” 

Nadja nodded. “Seems like it. If Ladybug wins, Nathanael will be shipped back home and she’ll win Adrien’s heart.”

Yeah, well, she already had. 

“If not, Nathanael will win and Marinette will be sent home. Who knows, if they both lose, they might be able to have a true relationship.” 

Alec laughed. “Sounds like they have a rough deal. Better than Ladybug falling for Chat, however. Since none of us know who he is, once the games are over, he’ll disappear and never be seen again, similar to years previous.” 

“Marichat does have its flaws. Let’s look at the results for who the public thinks is going to win Adrien over.” 

Adrien scowled, folding his arms. This should be good. 

The poll popped up with a picture of him on top with each Charm girl’s name written beneath it. 

_ Ladybug - 1% _

_ Wolf - 32% _

_ Panther - 21% _

_ Queen Bee - 46% _

“Yiiiiikes, looks like Ladybug isn’t high on the list.” 

“Most likely because she’s in two different relationships at once,” Mrs. Chamach commented. “No wonder no one is rooting for her and Adrien.” 

Adrien sighed, then walked out the door and closed it shut behind him. He didn’t want to hear the rest of that conversation. After taking a moment to steady his nerves and calm his mind, he strode toward his father’s office. It took him a couple minutes, due to the mansion’s sheer size, but he didn't mind the walk. It helped him ready himself for his father’s words. The doors that lead to his father’s office stretched from floor to ceiling, which gave him a chill. He never enjoyed going inside. 

Taking a deep breath, Adrien knocked on the door. 

“Come in,” a gruff voice replied. Adrien pushed open the door and stepped inside. A white desk stood in the middle of the room, covered in papers and other important documents. Paintings hung on the dreary gray walls, only one of which Adrien liked: the one of his mother. 

Behind the white desk, sitting in a jet black chair, Adrien’s father shuffled through a file. He didn’t even look up at his son before speaking. 

“You have failed me, Adrien.” 

He froze, staring at his father in shock. 

“W-what do you mean, father?” 

He scowled. “You have made our family name look bad.” With a flick of his hand, President Agreste slid the file across the desk and looked up at his son, his eyes deadly cold. “You have tarnished our reputation.” 

Adrien clenched his jaw. “How? How have I done such a thing?” 

His father got to his feet, resting his hands on the desk. “You have picked sides.” 

“Oh, so that’s what this is about?” Adrien snapped. “Just because I watch the Games and think someone’s better suited for the job?”

“Don’t you dare talk back to me!” President Agreste demanded. “You know better, I taught you better.” 

“ _ You _ taught me? HA! Yeah, right.” Adrien clenched his fists. “Nathalie taught me, not you. And these Games are teaching me more than you  _ ever _ taught to me!”

“That’s enough!” 

“No! It’s never enough!” Adrien stepped forward and picked up the file his father had been looking at. It was labeled,  _ Game Charms _ . “These people are getting hurt, father. They’re risking their lives for me, and in doing so, I’ve learned who would be more prepared for the job. I should have a choice in this, considering I’m going to be marrying the person who wins!” 

Gabriel slammed his fist on the desk. “You are acting irrationally! No son of mine should be caught up in the delusions! If your mother was here, she would put you back in your place!” 

Adrien froze at the mention of his mother. He had gone too far, he had crossed the line. His father was breathing heavily, barely able to keep control of his anger. 

“You will go to your room, having contact with nobody other than Nathalie. You will have no TV, phone, or device that has the internet. The Miraculous Games news will not reach you. Young man, you are grounded. Leave!” 

Adrien stood unmoving, his mouth agape in shock. What had just happened?

“LEAVE!” his father shouted. 

Adrien gritted his teeth. “I will never, ever stop, father. No matter what you do to me, but as you wish.” 

He turned sharply, then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Nathalie was waiting outside the door and opened her mouth to say something, but Adrien shoved past her. Feet pounded up the stairs after him, his name echoing off the empty walls as someone ran after him, but his door was slammed shoot and locked before the person caught up to him. 

Adrien pressed his back against the door, a mountain of emotion bubbling up inside of him. Anger, frustration, loathing, fear. His throat clenched and he tried to hold back a sob. Tears pooled in his eyes as he slid down to the floor. 

What was he going to do?

In the background, he still heard his TV on, broadcasting the Miraculous Games. 

“-out of all the charms,” Mrs. Chamach was saying. “It will be almost impossible to change the rankings since the public has spoken.

“Ladybug is on the top, thanks to her protector charm, Chat Noir. Fox is a close second, thanks to the FireFox couple name circling the media. Queen Bee is a little ways behind and…” 

Adrien tuned out after that and dropped this head into his hands. 

“I’m sorry, Ladybug,” he whispered, tears leaking out and trailing down his cheeks. “I’ve failed you once again…” 

*** * ***

Outside Adrien’s door, Nino cursed, banging on his friend’s door. Something had gone down in President Agreste’s office, and he was determined to find out what. 

“Come on, bro. Just open the door,” he muttered. He didn’t get any response. Sighing, he dropped his fist and slumped his shoulders. Something had been going on with Adrien, and he didn’t like it. He had heard screaming from President Agreste’s office, which concerned him a lot. Gabriel Agreste never raised his voice unless it was to gather a crowd’s attention. 

He had dropped his cleaning job on the second floor to check out what was going on. Though he could have been severely punished for doing so, he had a feeling it needed to be investigated. As he had come up to the office, trying to stay out of sight of Nathalie, however, Adrien had thrown open the doors. The sound had startled Nino, but as his friend pushed past Nathalie, he knew something had happened. 

He called out his name, but it seemed as though Adrien couldn’t hear him. Breaking into a sprint, Nino chased after a storming Adrien. His friend wouldn’t respond to his questions or name calling, something he usually would- at least- half listen to. 

Then, the door had been slammed shut on him, locked from the inside. Nino had stood outside the door, knocking and calling for Adrien to open the door. Besides, bros needed to support their bros. He still hadn’t responded. 

Behind Nino, someone cleared their throat. Straightening like a board, Nino turned slowly. He tensed his shoulders when he realized it was Nathalie. 

“Nino, what are you doing?” she questioned, her eyes cold. 

“I-I, uh…” He rubbed the back of his head, which caused his glasses to go askew for a moment. “I was just checking on Adrien. I heard yelling and thought that he would need a bubble bath or-” 

“None of this is your concern,” she snapped, cutting him off. “You will go back to your cleaning duties. You, as well as the rest of the servants, have been banned from seeing Adrien.” 

“But that’s not-” Nathalie’s glare hardened, and Nino shut his mouth. Better not to poke the bear. He cleared his throat, then bowed his head. “Yes, ma’am.” 

She nodded. “Good. You are free to go.” 

He bowed lower, backing away from the door and the harsh secretary. Once he was a good ten feet away, he straightened and speed walked as fast as he could down the stairs. He turned the corner, then pressed his back against the wall. He strained his ears to listen for any sounds that were abnormal, anything that would put him in danger. Peeking around the edge, he flicked his gaze up toward Adrien’s door. Nathalie was talking to him through the door, saying something about meals coming twice a day and having no interaction with anyone. 

“And there will be no phone or TV,” he heard her say. “You have half an hour to deposit your electronics outside your door. If they are not all accounted for by the end of that time, you will lose one of your meal privileges.” 

No way. There was no way his bro was going to be starved by his own family. 

Nathalie didn’t get any response, so she sighed and turned away. Nino ducked behind the corner again, holding his breath. Luckily, she wasn’t coming toward him. Once he was positive she was gone, he stepped out of hiding and clenched his fists. 

His friend wasn’t going to be alone, especially not like this. Enough was going on in his life already, he didn’t need neglectful actions of others on top of it. Nino turned away and marched off toward the kitchen. The first thing he would do is get his friend some food. After that, it was just a matter of time and precision… 


	21. Chapter Twenty-One:

##  **Chapter Twenty-One:**

 

Marinette yawned, stumbling along through the underbrush. Her eyes kept closing and going blurry on her, which didn’t help. The fatigue from the previous night was still taking a toll on her body. Before she could sleep, she and Nathanael still needed to find this tree that Chat had mentioned. 

Her stomach rumbled at just the thought of it. Fox had eaten the last bit of their food, by her insisting, of course, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t hungry. To distract herself, she had let her mind wander. No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept going back to one thing: Chat. 

She couldn’t believe she had kissed him. Ladybug, the number one charm (she hoped), had kissed her protector charm. Was that a good thing? She was still working on that part. However, no matter how good she felt about it, guilt kept creeping into her heart. 

Even without speaking - since they hadn’t the  _ entire _ morning - Marinette knew that Fox was upset. Trying to get some sleep after Chat had kissed her had been challenging, and pretty much impossible. So, for the rest of the time, she had laid next to Nathanael. Maybe it was because she didn’t snuggle as close as she usually did, or maybe it was because she could hear his unbalanced breathing. Either way, Fox was upset, and Marinette had a pretty educated guess as to what it was. 

He must have seen something. Whether it had been the kiss itself or just their hugging, she didn’t know. Then again, questioning him might be the wrong course of action. Should she allude to it and avoid conflict that way, or just stay quiet? 

Honestly, they had been staying quiet for far too long. It was time to break the ice somehow. 

Clearing her throat, Marinette tried to get Nathanael’s attention. 

“So, do you know where we’re going?” 

He was quiet for a moment, before muttering bitterly, “No.” 

She lowered her head. “Oh, wonderful…” 

The silence fell back into place. It was starting to annoy her. She had been pretty open about what was going on in the arena, well… most of it, anyways. 

“Look, Nathan,” she started, “I know that something is bothering you, and you can’t hide it forever. What’s wrong?” 

He stopped in his tracks, almost having her run into him, and turned. His red hair was disheveled, not unlike her own, but the way it hung across his forehead and over his eyes made him appear wild. His sea-foam green eyes flashed angrily. 

“What’s wrong? You sure as heck know what’s wrong!” He stepped forward, his timid side starting to fade away. Marinette finally saw the Charm that had taken out Felix all on his own. “I thought we were partners, I thought we had something going for us, and yet…” He scowled at her, “you kissed him.” 

Marinette’s blood froze. He had seen what had happened. Biting her lip, she looked down. 

“Nathanael, I’m so sorry… Things happened, we were both relieved, and-” 

“I don’t want to hear your stupid excuses. You kissed him, I saw it with my own two eyes. I saw the fight, I saw Lila betray us. I’m not an idiot, Ladybug. I know how to look after myself, and I’m starting to think that it’s not with you.” 

Ladybug’s mind began to race. No, they couldn’t get separated! She needed Fox, he was the one holding her together in the arena. If he wasn’t there, she might as well have gone insane or given up. He helped her keep going. Sure, she could probably defeat a couple more Charms, but not on her own. Chat was only here at night. Obviously, she wasn’t scared of what could happen, she just… 

Marinette bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Fox… I didn’t mean to hurt you. Is there anything I can do?”

He sighed, turning away and running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know, Marinette. I don’t know…” 

She nodded. “I can understand that you’re mad, you have every right to be. You and I are partners in this game, and I shouldn’t have kept information from you, even if it was about one of our teammates. But we can’t fight like this. We need to stick together if we’re going to get out of here. Besides, it was your idea in the first place.” 

Nathanael was quiet for a few minutes, trying to root her words into his mind. Eventually, he let out a frustrated breath. 

“Fine, you’re right. We’re in this together. Just…” he bit his lip, then shook his head as if deciding not to say what he had planned to. He gestured with his hand. “Come on, we need to find the tree Chat mentioned.” 

Marinette nodded, following behind him like an obedient dog. The first rule of survival: the fewer fights, the better. 

The pair continued to walk. The arena had been pretty quiet today, or so they could tell. Ladybug didn’t see any animals scampering through the bushes or hear any crickets the night before. She couldn’t tell if she should be concerned about that or not. This wasn’t the real world, after all. 

Thinking about this made her mind trail off, not to Chat like she was expecting, though. But to home. Home… 

Closing her eyes, Marinette could almost see the pink cupboards and smell the fresh bread wafting up the stairs from the bakery. She had been waking up to the smell of dirt and leaves for the past few days that the smell of her home felt so comforting. The soft couches in the front room, the counter where she had spilled multiple cups of milk, the stairwell up to her room… 

Oh, how she missed her room. She missed her sketchbook full of designs and sketches. She wanted to feel the cloth under her fingers, and, because she was so desperate, the prick of pins piercing her skin. She wanted that life back, the life of being late to school, coming home to the smell of bread, and the late nights of designing. Now that she was in the games, would she be able to have that again? 

If she returned to school, the other students would flock to her, most likely bombarding her with questions of what the Capital was like. She would have the reputation of being in the games itself, and that would cause problems. She would no longer be normal. 

Wait. What if Nathanael came back with her? What if they both  _ lost _ ? 

Oh no… 

Marinette slowed her walk, lifting a healing hand to run through her smoldered hair. She would have to keep up the relationship, if anything! She hadn’t thought about it before, but now that she was thinking past the games… She could get married to him. If she didn’t, everyone would think she was a player. 

Was she a player? Could a girl be considered a player? Was loving Chat and pretending to love Nathanael considered playing? And what if Nathanael won? Would she have to keep up the relationship then, too? 

Hold on, what if  _ she _ won? 

She stopped walking. What would happen to Chat? What about Adrien? How did he feel about the situation? Would Nathanael be sent home? Would he be heartbroken? Did he actually like her? What if  _ Adrien _ started to like her, too? Then, what about  _ Chat _ ? Could she handle  _ three guys at once??? _

“Ladybug?” Fox called. 

Marinette snapped out her trance. Nathanael stood a good twenty feet away from her, watching her with concern. As she looked at him, she realized something: she didn’t have to sort this all out now. She was being hunted down by Charms who could kill her if they wanted to. The problems would all work out eventually, or so she hoped. 

“Are you okay?” Nathanael asked tone laced with worry.

“S-sorry,” she stuttered, shaking her head in order to bring herself back into reality. “I-I was just thinking.” 

“You sure? You don’t need to rest? We’ve been traveling almost all morning.” 

She bit her lip, then shook her head. “No, I’m alright…” 

Fox looked her up and down, then sighed and softened his expression. He cast his gaze down toward the ground and made his way back to her. Marinette flicked her gaze up at him, unsure what was going on. He stopped in front of her, then, with a tentative hand, laced his fingers with hers. 

“Marinette, I’m sorry. I’ve been pushing you too hard.” 

Widening her eyes, she shook her head. “Oh, no no! You’re okay. I was just thinking about…” She trailed off, her expression turning sad. “Nathanael, have you thought about what’s going to happen after we get out of here?” 

He nodded. “Yeah, a little bit…” 

Marinette didn’t respond, waiting for him to continue. 

Fox sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Marinette, I don’t know what’s going to happen when this is all over, though I doubt things are going to go back to the way they were. We might go home to our parents, we might be separated from one another, or we have the possibility of dying.” He paused, though it didn’t comfort Ladybug one bit. He continued, “I don’t want to lose you, Marinette. You’ve been the truest friend I have ever had and I honestly don’t know what I would do without you by my side. However… if you, someone else, or I  _ do _ win this, I want you to know that I will always support you, no matter what.”

Marinette nodded with understanding, her eyes pricking with tears. She couldn’t cry. She had to stay strong. “Thank you, Nathanael. That means a lot to me.” 

He opened his mouth to say something, but there was a loud boom of thunder. Both of the Charms looked up with surprise. They hadn’t noticed before, but the sky had clouded over, the blue sky disappearing behind gray thunderclouds. 

“We should probably find somewhere to take shelter from the storm,” Fox offered. 

“Yeah, I agree. I doubt we’ll be able to find any materials to build a shelter out of, so let’s see if we can find another cave.” 

He nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” Glancing down at her slowly-healing burns, his expression softened. “And don’t push yourself too hard.” 

The two of them set off through the forest, searching for any caves or boulders. Sadly, they found none. They scoured the forest floor for anything they could use to build a shelter, but other than leaves the size of their palms or weed-like bushes, they found nothing. An hour passed, then two, before it started to pour. It had started out as a light sprinkle, which hadn’t bothered the duo much, but it quickly turned into pounding sheets. The two Charms stumbled through the trees, getting doused from head-to-toe. 

Marinette held her arm over her face so she could see through the pouring rain. She squinted, looking for anything they could use. After searching for hours, despair had started to take root, until something in the distance caught her eye. Curious, she quickly jumped over logs and past pushes to investigate. 

As she got closer, the small hope inside of her started to grow. Her eyes widened and she broke into a grin. She turned and cupped her hands around her mouth as she called, “Fox, I found a cave!”

“Awesome! Let’s get inside before the storm gets worse!” 

The two of them sprinted for the entrance. With mud-caked shoes, they slid into the cave dripping wet. They looked at each other, then started to bust up. Despite everything that was going on, they both had to admit that they looked totally ridiculous. Marinette's bangs stuck to her forehead, her pigtails as limp as an overcooked noodle. Nathanael’s clothes were soaked, hanging off of him like weights. As they both laughed, something snapped behind them. Marinette froze, her smile fading. 

“Did you hear that?” she whispered. 

Fox’s smile had faded too, and he nodded. 

Then, they heard the sound of metal being unsheathed. 

“Move, and you’re dead.” 


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two:

##  **Chapter Twenty-Two:**

 

Marinette held up her hands, though they obviously trembled. She and Nathanael refused to look behind them and, instead, kept their gaze locked on each other. 

“Please,” Fox stated to the person behind them, “don’t hurt us. We can leave and find somewhere else to take shelter.” 

The person laughed. “You really think I would let my two biggest competitors off that easily, without any fight whatsoever?” 

So, it was a Charm, not like Marinette hadn’t have guessed earlier. 

“We’ll leave,” Ladybug encouraged. “We don’t want to cause you any trouble.” 

“Oh, but you already have.” It was a girl’s voice, judging by how it was. “You kicked my boyfriend out of the running.” 

The Charm made her way around them, a sword clutched in one hand and a knife in the other. Though it was dark, Marinette recognized her. It was Mylene, the Wolf Charm. Marinette had talked to her before the games had started and, to be honest, hadn’t even thought about her. She had forgotten she was part of the competition, it wasn’t like she was looking for trouble.

“We’re sorry about that,” Ladybug said, her tone soft with apology. “It was a bloodbath and we really didn’t have a choice. He-”

“It’s all your fault!” Wolf cut her off. “He would still be here if it wasn’t for you!” 

“Mylene,” Fox said, his hands lowering slowly, “we’re sorry for your loss, but you’ll see him again after the games. He isn’t dead.” 

“We were going to win together!” She jabbed her sword toward him and Fox shot his hands back up. “We were going to the win the games as a couple - as a team! We planned on meeting up later on in the games, and I sat here, in this cave, waiting for him. When he never showed up, I knew our plan had turned for the worst. We were going to survive this and split the prize!” 

“How would you split the prize? Wouldn’t that mean that you would marry Adrien and your boyfriend would get the job?” Ladybug asked.

Wolf shook her head. “No, we would press for the prize to be split, as in, we each get a high paying job.” 

“But only one person that’s allowed to make it out of the arena is the winner,” Nathanael corrected. “There wouldn’t be anything that you-”

“I don’t care!” Mylene pressed the tip of the sword underneath his chin. “I am going to win this thing for the both of us, and no one is going to stop me!” She surged forward to snatch the pin off of Fox’s jacket, but Ladybug stepped in. She pushed Mylene away and stood in front of her partner. 

“If you’re going to take his pin, you’re going to have to go through me.” 

Wolf cracked a smile, but there wasn’t any kindness or happiness behind it. It was dark, malicious, maybe even murderous. 

“I had heard stories about you two,” she said smugly. “I heard that you were an inseparable team and almost impossible to beat, however,” Mylene tightened her grip on her sword and knife, “that isn’t going to stop me from kicking you out of the games.” 

Outside the cave, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. In that moment of silence, Wolf attacked. She swung her blade, but Ladybug kicked up her leg and hit her wrist. The sword barely missed grazing Marinette’s cheek. 

“Get back!” she shouted at Fox. He took a step back as Ladybug ducked another swing from Mylene. Due to the enclosed cave, it was hard to dodge her weapons and protect Fox at the same time. Ladybug glanced over Wolf’s shoulder at the stormy entrance. She needed to get outside. Behind her, Nathanael tried to find some way he could get around the fight without getting hurt. They were cornered and Mylene would soon overtake them if they didn’t get out into the open. 

Wolf jabbed her knife toward her, but Marinette hit the floor and rolled. She was able to pop up behind Mylene and wrap an arm around her neck. 

“Fox, go!” she shouted. 

Nathanael didn’t hesitate for one minute. Barely missing Wolf’s blades, he burst out of the cave. Mylene growled in irritation, then flipped her knife around in her hand and attempted to stab Marinette in the face. Ladybug dodged but was forced to let go. Taking a few steps back, she desperately scanned the cave floor for anything she could use as a weapon. Other than the occasional rock and the sleeping bag that was obviously Mylene’s, there wasn’t anything. 

Wolf turned over her shoulder and swung. Marinette took another giant step backward, but the blade was able to cut her sleeve. Her wounds that were almost completely healed, were now reopened. Wincing, Marinette, pressed a hand to her arm, blood seeping out between her fingers. 

Mylene chuckled. “So, looks like the undefeatable Ladybug isn’t as undefeatable as she looks.” 

“Well, I’m sorry I disappointed you, but I at least fight back.” 

Wolf’s smile melted into a sneer. “Fighting back is going to kill you, and I’m going to do it!” She stabbed her sword at her, but Marinette fell back, hitting the ground butt first. She scrambled back out into the pouring rain. The wet grass and mud smeared all over her hands and all down her pants, but compared to the sword-swinging maniac in front of her, she figured her already-wet clothes couldn’t get much more ruined anyway. 

“Mylene, please,” she begged but was cut off by the knife that sliced right in front of her, barely missing her knee. 

“I am not Mylene!” her enemy shouted. “I am Wolf, the charm who is finally going to take down Ladybug!” 

She swung the sword at her and Marinette squeaked and turned away. SHING! The right side of her head suddenly became lighter. Marinette gasped as she saw her right  ponytail fly through the air and hit the grass. Still in shock of what just happened, she looked up. Wolf stood above her, her sword raised to impale her. 

“This is for Ivan,” she seethed. 

Marinette firmly squeezed her eyes shut. I’m sorry, Chat… I should have been the one to promise not to get into trouble… 

She heard Mylene scream in anger. Her whole life flashed before her eyes, or, at least it would have if the scream hadn’t been cut off unexpectedly. To her left, something hit the ground hard. Marinette’s eyes flew open and she turned. 

Nathanael, that savior of a fox, had tackled Wolf and the two were now rolling around in the mud like a pair of pigs. Mylene’s sword and knife had skidded out of her grasp, lost somewhere in the tall grass. As Marinette struggled to pull herself up, Fox punched and kicked Wolf like an animal protecting its children. 

“I won’t let you hurt her!” he shouted over and over with every hit he landed, a few of “Ever!”’s scattered in as well. 

Ladybug got to her feet and was about to rush over and help him, but he seemed to have the situation under control. He had pinned Wolf. The girl was on her back, Nathanael’s knee pressed into her chest and his hands firmly gripping her forearms. His face was smeared with a mix of blood, water, and mud. His hair had turned from red to brown due to the excessive amounts of wet dirt. Though, through that all, his eyes were flashing with anger. 

“Nobody gets away with hurting Ladybug,” he hissed, “not on my watch.” 

Marinette watched, the pouring rain dripping off of her nose, chin, and clothes, as Nathanael ripped Mylene’s miraculous necklace right off of her neck. In a fog of purple and a flash of silver, she disappeared. Breathing heavily, Fox leaned back on his knees and lowered his head. Droplets of water dripped from the tips of his hair as if attempted to wash out the mud from it. Marinette dropped to her knees, trying to take in what had just happened. 

For a collection of a couple minutes, neither Marinette or Nathanael said a word. They sat in the wet grass and mud as it continued to rain. Ladybug’s cut stung on her upper arm, but she didn’t pay any mind to it. She glanced behind her and spotted her severed ponytail. Was that really hers? She lifted a hand to grab the ponytail that was supposed to be on her right side but wasn’t. All she felt was the broken and uneven ends of hair that were left. 

As she was having this realization, Nathanael finally came back to reality. He looked at the wolf charm that was clutched in his right hand. Scowling, he shoved it into his jacket pocket with distaste. He lifted his head and turned to look at Marinette. When his eyes fell on her, his expression softened. With wobbly legs, he got to his feet, made his way over to her, and crouched in front of her. 

A gentle hand reached up and cupped her cheek. “Hey, you okay?” 

She nodded numbly. “Yes, I’m fine.” 

Nathanael moved his hand from her cheek to the hair that had been freshly cut. Marinette’s emotionless expression faltered for a few moments as she bit her lip and closed her eyes. Though there was water already running down her face, Nathanael could see the small tear that leaked out of the corner of her eye. 

“C-can you find her knife?” she asked quietly, barely audible over the sound of the pounding rain. Nathanael was confused by her request, but he nodded and stood to find one of the blades. He found the knife in a puddle just a few feet away. After shaking it off as best he could, he brought it back over to Marinette and handed it to her. She took it gingerly, then gripped it as she raised it. 

At first, Nathanael almost screamed at her to stop. She was lifting it to her throat! But, to his relief and also deep sorrow, she pressed it against the stem of her other ponytail on her left side. He watched as she took a deep breath. Thunder rolled above them. 

Slice. 

She pulled her hand away. Her severed ponytail hung limply in her fingers, covered in mud and soaking wet. With tears down both of her cheeks, Ladybug tossed it aside toward the other destroyed ponytail Mylene had cut off. 

Now that her ponytails were gone, there was nothing holding her hair back. It was too short to put into ponytails now. The strands dripped water down the back of her neck and down her ears. Her bangs hung over her eyes, but Nathanael didn’t need to see her eyes to know what she was feeling. 

Before he could stop himself, he threw his arms around her and held her tightly. Marinette was taken off-guard for a few moments but eventually accepted the embrace. She buried her face in Fox’s wet jacket and hugged him in return. 

Though rain was still coming down in sheets, the two Charms stayed where they were. They were alive and that was enough to satisfy them for now. 

*** * ***

Adrien leaned back on the couch, his heart finally slowing down after he had been on the edge of his seat for a full ten minutes. Taking control of his breathing, he counted each time he breathed in and each time he breathed out. 1… 2… 3… Everything was okay. Marinette was still alive. Ladybug was still in the running to win the Miraculous Games. 

The bedroom doorknob jiggled and Adrien’s heartbeat spiked. Stuffing the tablet he had stolen to watch the games into the crack between the cushions of the couch, he attempted to get into a casual position, as if he had just been sitting there doing nothing. No, he couldn’t just be doing nothing. Adrien scooped up a magazine from the coffee table and flipped it open just as the door opened. 

“Don’t worry, dude. It’s just me,” came Nino’s voice. “And, just so you know, the magazine is upside down, bro.” 

Adrien breathed out a sigh of relief and tossed the upside-down magazine back on the table. “How many times do I have to tell you, Nino, can you please knock before you come in?” 

“If I knock, I risk giving away my position.” His friend came around the couch and handed him a plate of food. “The kitchen staff is starting to get suspicious, bro. You need to chill when it comes to your meals.” 

Adrien graciously took the plate, smiling guiltily at his best friend. “I’m sorry, Nino, I eat a lot when I get nervous. And thanks for choosing a croissant over normal white bread.”

He shrugged. “I know my friend, buddy. He’d choose a croissant over white bread any day.” 

The two of them shared a smile before Adrien went to town on his food. It was nice, having something so simple as a croissant with chicken salad to keep his spirits up. After all, the fight he had just witnessed had set his nerves on edge. To be honest, though, he still hadn’t calmed down. His hands were still shaking. Keep it together, he scolded himself, Nino is still in the room. 

About halfway through his meal, Nino glanced at the clock on the wall. His eyebrows shot up and he gripped his hat. “Oh crap, I have to go.” 

Adrien held up the plate, his croissant still in his hand. “Here, take the plate. I can’t have Nathalie find it in here or else I could get in serious trouble.” 

“Dude, I’m already risking a lot just to feed you,” Nino argued with a smile. 

“True, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you for that.” 

Nino hurried over to the door, then gave Adrien a finger gun. “You’re fine, bro. Just don’t get into trouble.” 

His friend laughed. “I could say the same for you.” He waved. “See ya.” 

Nino smiled then disappeared through the doorway and shut the door. 

Adrien sighed, his shoulders dropping. Setting the croissant on the table, he leaned back into the couch and slumped into the cushions. How was he going to do this without seriously worrying his friend? He couldn’t flat-out tell Nino that he was Chat Noir. Not only would that cause problems, he was afraid of what his friend might say. Would he mad at him for not telling him about it in the first place? Would he try to intervene in some weird way that would only end up hurting himself and others? 

No, it was too big of a risk. This would just have to be a secret that would remain that way until the time was right. After all, he wanted Marinette to know that he, Adrien Agreste - the boy that she was playing to win for, had actually chosen her since the beginning? Even though it wasn’t his choice who won or lost, he still wanted to have a say in the matter. And that matter was Marinette. 

He didn’t have a lot of time before Nathalie would come check on him to see if he was in bed or not. That would be in less than half an hour; less than half an hour to make one of the biggest decisions of his life. 

After being cooped up in his room for a full 24 hours, Adrien had started to realize how much he depended on technology to keep in touch with the real world that was happening outside of his walls. There were the Miraculous Games going on, other people’s lives being altered by every step each Charm made. However, could he let go of what he had in this room? His bed, his phone, his friends? 

Could he let go of his family? 

It wasn’t an easy topic to think about, but Adrien’s mind immediately went there. His mother. It had been a couple years since she had left, and though it couldn’t have been more than two, the wound still felt fresh. He still remembered the day when she had disappeared. It had been simple enough; he had woken up, gotten ready for the day, and was on his way downstairs to talk to his dad about what he was going to be working on that day when he found the front door slightly ajar. 

Adrien shut his eyes tightly. No, he couldn’t do that to himself. He had to get over it. He was about to have a fiancee, and that alone was a scary thought. He didn’t need to think about his mom’s disappearance. 

However, it almost seemed necessary. Adrien had thought long and hard about this question, and he wasn’t sure how to react to it: Could he leave his father in the same way his mother had? 

The consequences of such a move could be infinite, but was he willing to take the risk? Was he willing to throw all of his cards on the table and have his own life the way he wanted it? Sure, he would be in disguise for most of the time, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make a difference. He needed to be there for Marinette. Watching her today fight off Wolf and almost get stabbed while on camera… it had broken something inside of Adrien. He needed to protect his lady, and being trapped in here was not going to work. He knew that Nathanael could take care of her while he was gone, but he wasn’t exactly comfortable with the idea. 

Ladybug had kissed him, so that had to mean something… Did she like him better than Fox? Was she using Fox just to survive the games? After all, it had been proven by the audience that they were cheering FireFox on more than MariChat, but… Marinette wouldn’t use him like that, would she? 

Adrien sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He had to decide. None of this questions would be answered if he just sat on the couch wasting time. It was now or never. 

Biting his lip, he made his decision: he would rather be free than safe. 

He pushed himself up and walked into his bathroom. After changing into his Chat Noir uniform, he picked up his staff. It reflected the bathroom lights off of its shiny metal service and the green paw print on the top end glowed faintly. With a gloved hand, Chat rolled the staff over in his hand and focused his gaze on the engraving he had spent years staring at.

_ Don’t be afraid to chase after your dreams. Only you can make your mark on the world.- Mom.  _


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three:

##  **Chapter Twenty-Three:**

 

“I just can’t believe it!” Alec exclaimed, pushing his papers across the desk. 

“Neither can the rest of the country,” Nadja agreed. “If Adrien doesn’t come back, the Miraculous Games would have been for nothing.” 

Alec shook his head, his expression turning sad. “Well, you heard it here first, viewers. Adrien Agreste is still missing after three days of searching. President Agreste is extremely upset, at least, that is what we have heard, yes?” 

Nadja nodded. “That’s correct, Alec. President Agreste has had the police forces on high alert for the past few days, and though they’ve scoured the entire district, they still haven’t found him. The one thing that we are all hoping and praying for is that he won’t be too far from home.” 

“Do we know why he disappeared in the first place?” 

She shook her head. “It hasn’t been revealed to the public yet, though I can assure you that many of us are worried about his well-being.” 

Alec bowed his head. “Indeed. We at the Miraculous Games studio definitely are. Well, now that we’ve got the sad news out of the way,” he plastered a giant smile across his face, “we are now down to only five charms left!” He gestured behind him at the big screen and clips from the previous few days began to play. 

“Wolf was kicked out of the games only two days ago by the unbreakable team of Ladybug and Fox! In the process, Ladybug lost both of her ponytails. Crazy hair cut, am I right?” 

On the screen, the clip of Mylene cutting off Marinette’s right ponytail. 

“I would hate if that happened to me,” Mrs. Chamach replied honestly. 

“I know right? But, then again,” Alec run a hand over his bald head, “It’s not like I can understand.” 

The two hosts laughed, and even if it may have been forced, it was a blessing that the mood had been lifted. 

“Well, what can we look forward to in the games, Nadja?” Alec asked once the two host’s laughter had calmed down. 

“Now that we’re down to only a few Charms left, we should expect a lot of bloodshed. As with every year, the arena slowly gets smaller and smaller until the Charms are forced to fight with one another. No matter what, we should expect to have a real show.” 

Alec smiled. “Sounds like a party! Let’s flip to it now.”

*** * ***

Marinette knit her eyebrows and rolled over in her sleep. Nathanael, who had an arm around her, watched her snuggle into his chest. He could feel her trembling. He knew he was shaking as well, it was so cold outside, but there wasn’t anything they could do. 

The pair had taken over Mylene’s cave in the pile of rocks, thankful for the supplies that she left behind, but it didn’t change the fact that both of them were shivering. The rain had passed after a day and a half of downpour, which was a blessing since water no longer trickled into the cave. Even with the rain gone, however, the night air was chilly. Their clothes had dried slowly over the past few days, but as the clothes had become dry, the two of them had gotten sick. Their noses were stuffed, they shivered almost constantly, and, in Marinette’s case, her forehead was burning up. Fox could feel the heat of it through his musty shirt and jacket. 

Though they were sick, Nathanael wasn’t going to give up hope. They had made it this far, why not make it to the end? If they stuck together, they could win. He knew it; he knew it so deeply in his heart, there was no denying it. They could win if they fought all the way to the end. 

The battle they needed to win now, though, was beating the sickness they both had caught. 

Shivering, Marinette bunched Nathanael’s jacket in her fists. Fox lifted a hand and brushed her bangs away from her face. It was so odd to see her with short hair, but he had slowly gotten used to it the more they spent time together. It almost fit her better. If anything, it would be a token that she could keep after the games. He wondered if she would grow it back out or keep it the way it was. 

Moving his fingers from her hair to feeling her forehead, he bit his lip with worry. She was still running a fever. There had to be some way that he could help her body break it… 

Before he could move, Marinette moaned. Her heavy eyelids lifted and she dully stared at Nathanael. He gave her a small smile and brushed her cheek. 

“Hey there, Ladybug. Nice to see that you’re awake.” 

She scrunched up her nose and sniffled. Almost instantly afterward, she broke into a coughing fit. Nathanael placed a hand on her back, letting her catch her breath before he helped her up into a sitting position. 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, wiping her nose on her sleeve. 

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m already sick so it doesn’t matter.” 

Marinette gave him an apologetic smile before slumping back against the rock wall. “Has Chat turned up yet?” 

“No, not yet.” 

She bit her lip and played with the ends of her chopped hair. “He should have been here by now… This will be the third night he’s missed. Do you think he’s okay?” 

Nathanael shrugged coldly. Why did she care so much about that stupid cat? Sure, he was helpful and all, but it wasn’t like he could win the games for them. Besides, even if Marinette had kissed the ugly kitty, that didn’t mean he couldn’t make them win the games. 

“I bet he’s fine. Probably just taking a stupid cat nap.” 

Marinette shot him a glare. “I doubt it’s that.” She rubbed the back of her neck as she said, “I hope he hasn’t gotten himself into trouble... Do you think he’s been captured?”

He shrugged again. “Not like it would matter.” 

“What is  _ wrong _ with you?” she snapped. “He’s helped us this whole time and you’re treating him like one of our enemies.” 

“Well, it’s not like we know who he is. For all we know, he could be. Maybe he’s like Raven, ready to stab us in the back as soon as we turn around.” 

Marinette gaped at him in shock, then her expression hardened. “Chat would never do that.” 

Fox scoffed and folded his arms. “It’s not like we can prove anything until it happens.” 

Ladybug scowled. “I think you don’t like him because of our relationship, is that it?” 

Nathanael’s ears went pink. He frowned at the floor, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“No.” 

“Yes,” Marinette argued. “You don’t like him because I’m close to him, am I right?” 

He was silent, and that was enough of an answer to satisfy her question. Marinette sassily blew her bangs out of her eyes. “It really isn’t that big of a deal. He’s just a friend.” 

“Then why did you kiss him?”

Marinette froze. Had he just played that card? Yeah, he did, and Nathanael wasn’t going to take it back. 

“How… how did you know that?” Ladybug asked quietly. 

“Because I saw it. I was there, but it wasn’t like you were going to notice me. You were too busy running your fingers through his perfectly cut hair.” He turned his angry glare on her. “I thought we were in this together.” 

“We are,” Marinette hastily responded. “Of course we are, Fox. Why wouldn’t we be?” 

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe when you start choosing other people over me. I thought you cared about me. I thought we were in this together. Are we going to end up like Mylene and Ivan, huh?”

Marinette was speechless. She turned her gaze to the floor and pulled her legs into her chest. Her body was shaking like a leaf, and though Nathanael felt horrible about not helping her, the resentment that had been building up inside of him was stronger. 

“I… I don’t mean to hurt you,” Marinette said, her voice shaking. “I just want to keep us alive in these games. We could die at any time, no matter how unlikely it is, and it’s scaring me. I don’t want the people I care about and love to get hurt.”

Nathanael sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Marinette, you need to know this before it bites you in the butt one day.” He looked her dead in the eye. “I need you to choose. I can’t keep waiting on the fence. I thought we were a team, a team with a plan to stay together, but if you want to choose Chat over me, that’s fine. Just know, if I die in these games, it’s going to be your fault.” 

Ladybug’s eyes started to water. “Fox, please-” 

“I’m sorry, Ladybug. Until then, I will stick by your side. It’s time we stop relying on that cat to solve our problems. You’re strong-willed and you can do anything you can put your mind to, so I don’t see why you continuously put yourself down for Chat.” 

“I don’t put myself down for him,” Marinette murmured, then was sent into a coughing fit. She coughed into her elbow, and when she came back around, she said, “I care about both of you. You’re both my friends, my comrades and… I don’t think I could choose between the two of you.” 

“You’re going to have to,” Nathanael muttered, “or this whole thing is going to spin out of control.” 

Marinette didn’t respond for a long time after that. Instead of talking, she dropped her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Fox’s heart jumped when he realized how warm she was. She was getting worse by the minute, and yet he felt horrible fighting with her, he couldn’t keep his feelings bottled up anymore. He cared about her just as much as, and maybe more, than the stupid stray she had randomly picked up to join their team. 

Just then, there was a THUMP outside the cave entrance. Fox jumped, but Ladybug didn’t seem to react. She still had her head on his shoulder as if fast asleep. Squinting, Nathanael tried to make out what it was. Though it was dark, he could see the silhouette of someone dressed in all black holding a staff of some sort. Nathanael’s heart skipped a beat when he realized who it was. The cat ears had given it away. 

“Finally stopped by, huh?” he called. 

Chat turned, and when his eyes landed on Fox, his expression hardened. 

“For your information, it was harder to get here than you would think.” 

Nathanael raised his hands. “Gee, sorry for assuming, but before the past few nights, it seemed like it was easy for you to come and go.” 

“Things changed,” Chat snapped. “Where is Marinette?” 

Nathanael jabbed a thumb to his shoulder. “I’m surprised you didn’t see her, snoopy.” 

Furrowing his eyebrows, Chat walked into the cave and headed straight toward her. He crouched in front of her and pressed the back of his gloved hand to her forehead. His eyes widened. 

“She’s burning up.” 

“No duh, Sherlock. She has a fever; had one for the past few nights.” 

Chat’s hand traced down her forehead, across her cheek, then stopped at the ridged edge of her new haircut. He analyzed the hair as if he were gazing at a dead puppy. 

“We need to get her out of here.” 

Fox blinked. “What?” 

“We need to leave,” Chat repeated. 

“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea. She doesn’t have the strength and could get hurt. Besides, where else would we go? We could be attacked by any of the charms that are still left.” 

Chat rolled his eyes. “I’m talking about leaving the arena, Fox, not the cave.” 

The force of those words hit Nathanael like a truck. “What? That’s impossible! And, even if we could, the Capitol wouldn’t let us.” 

“Things have changed,” Chat replied vaguely, “more than you could ever know. While you guys have been in here fighting for your life, the President’s son ran away. We need to end these games right away, even if the Game Master doesn’t agree with it.” 

Using both arms, Chat wrapped his arms around Marinette and scooped her up. She moaned but didn’t respond to his presence. 

“How long has she been like this?” Chat asked. 

Fox shrugged. “She laid her head down on my shoulder just minutes before you arrived, why?” 

“Because she’s passed out. She must have slipped into unconsciousness right as I got here.” 

Nathanael tensed. Had he caused that? Had he pushed her too far, when in turn made her pass out? His worry started to climb, reaching unbelievable levels. 

“Will she be okay?” he asked, his voice tight. 

Chat shrugged, then shifted her in his arms. Even though he was trying to give off an air of confidence, Nathanael could see the worry etched into his expression. Chat gazed down at Marinette’s passed out body. 

“It depends. If we don’t get her out of the games, she could die.” 

On instinct, Fox’s fists clenched. “I’m not going to let that happen.” 

“And neither am I,” Chat replied. “If we’re going to get out of here alive, we need to work together. Fair?”

As much as he hated the idea, Nathanael knew Chat had a point. They would never be able to get Ladybug out of the arena if they didn’t work as a team. He didn’t want to work with the stupid cat, but if it was for Marinette… 

“Alright. Let’s get out of here. I’m ready to go home.” 


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four:

##  **Chapter Twenty-Four:**

 

The smell of bread wafted out of the bakery, tingling Marinette’s nose. She took a long sniff, then sighed. It was so nice to be home. She was lounging on the couch in the front room, a game controller in her hands. In the kitchen, she could hear her mother preparing dinner while her dad finished up with the customers downstairs. Smiling to herself, Marinette let out a relaxed sigh and melted into the couch. It was smooth, almost like leather… 

She blinked. Hold on, her couch wasn’t made of leather. It was made of a thick, coarse fabric. And why was she slightly swaying back and forth? 

“Mama?” she called. Usually, her mother would have responded almost immediately, but she didn’t. Marinette looked over her shoulder into the kitchen only to find that her mother wasn’t actually there. But, for some odd reason, the dishes and ingredients were flying through the air as if someone was lifting them. She watched in shock as the eggs cracked themselves into a bowl and the flour measured itself out. 

Marinette closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, squeezing her hands against the side of her head. “Snap out of it, Mari. This isn’t real.” 

She opened her eyes, but she was still in her front room. Except this time, the ingredients were gone and everything had turned an ashen gray color. Trembling, Marinette pulled her legs into her chest and pressed herself against the couch cushions. They seemed to be the only thing that was keeping her warm at the moment. The air turned chilly, cold enough that her breath turned into steam. 

“It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real!” she told herself over and over again, shrinking into herself. The gray cupboards, TV, game controller, carpet, and every other thing in the room slowly morphed into black. The smell of bread disappeared, replaced with the scent of something… different. Was that cologne? 

Marinette began to shiver uncontrollably. All the light in the room began to slowly fade, leaving her in absolute darkness. 

“Mama! Papa!” she shouted, her voice tight with fear. No one answered. She tried to call out for help again. “Fox?!” 

The darkness started to seep into her chest. It was as if the blackness was weighing her down. Her ears filled with muffled noises - the sound of leaves crunching and tree branches snapping. Her head throbbed and her chest felt like it was under the weight of a truck. She felt like she was a piece of lead slowly sinking in the bottom of the ocean. 

In a final surge of desperation, Marinette screamed, “CHAT?!” 

The next thing she knew, her eyes flew open and she gasped for air. As she did so, she began to cough and hack, her chest pulling into itself. 

“Is she awake?” a voice asked, but to Marinette, it sounded like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel. 

“Yes,” another voice responded. This one made Marinette’s throat close up. Could it be…?

She didn’t realize until then that someone was holding her in their arms. The texture of the cloth that rubbed against her arms was the exact same thing she had felt in her dream. Leather. Gazing up with tired eyes, she saw green eyes smiling down at her. 

“Morning, My Lady. I hope you enjoyed your cat nap,” Chat said with a cheeky grin. 

“C-chat…” Ladybug choked out before going into another coughing fit. As she coughed, Chat pulled her closer to his chest. His warm was soothing against her freezing skin. It didn’t help that the cold wind was turning her sweat into icicles. He rested his chin on the top of her head.

“Shh… don’t push yourself too much. You’re fever still hasn’t broken.” 

Eventually, she was able to stop coughing, but she still trembled like a leaf. “I-is Fox here?” 

Chat nodded. “Yes, he’s just a few feet away.” He gestured with his eyes over Marinette’s head. She cautiously turned and was able to make out Nathanael’s worried stance in the dark. 

“Are you okay..?” she asked him. 

She heard him snort. “Am I okay? You’re the one who was out cold for three hours.” 

“T-three hours?” 

Chat nodded and shifted her in his arms. “Yes, you passed out just minutes before I arrived.” 

She let out a frustrated sigh. “Of course I missed your arrival…” 

He smirked. “It’s alright, LB. Besides, now that you’re awake, I can finally tell you guys what’s been going on.” His expression shifted from carefree to serious in less than a second. He swept his gaze around the forest, and when he decided that it was safe, he carefully lowered Marinette to the ground. He rested her against the back of the tree, taking off her jacket in the process. She grabbed for it, but he snatched it away. 

“I know it’s cold, but you need to break this fever as soon as possible if we’re going to get out of here.” He waved his hand to Fox and the two of them took a seat on the ground next to Ladybug. 

Sighing, Chat lowered Marinette’s jacket and crossed his legs as he sat. “Alright, it’s time to tell you guys what’s been going on outside this arena. The whole country is freaking out about it and it’s time that you guys know as well.” He paused, glancing at Ladybug and Fox before finally spitting out, “Adrien Agreste has run away.” 

Marinette gasped, her eyes as wide as saucers. “What? Why?” 

Chat spread his hands. “I heard he was being put under lockdown by his father. He must have made him upset or something.” 

“Oh no…” Marinette bit the bottom of her lip. If Adrien was gone, how would that affect the rest of the Charms in the arena? 

Fox seemed to be on the same wavelength as her. “How many charms are left that we need to take out?” 

Chat shook his head. “I can’t give you a sure answer, but I think maybe four, including you two.” 

“That’s only two other opponents. We could win this,” Fox stated. 

“Who are they?” Marinette muttered, coughing into her fist. 

“I think the only two that are left are Panther and Queen Bee.” 

Ladybug stopped, then gave Chat a questioning glare. “How is it even possible for Bee to still be in the running? I thought she would have been taken out ages ago.” 

“Well, she’s done a pretty good job of laying low,” Chat answered. “But I have to agree with you, I’m surprised she’s made it this far as well without outside help.” 

Marinette sighed and rubbed her forehead. It was warm compared to the rest of her body which was shivering. “The games can’t be far from over, especially since the days are getting shorter.” She gestured above her, and as if to prove her point, the sun was starting to come up on the horizon. 

“Don’t you need to leave, Chat?” Fox asked pointedly. 

Ladybug shot him a glare, wanting to smack him for reminding Chat. 

Surprisingly, Chat shook his head. “No, I’m staying in here until I can get both of you guys out of here.” 

“Great,” Nathanael muttered. 

“Can we please focus…?” Marinette questioned, “Because if we’re going to find a way to break out of here, we need to come up with a plan.” 

“I already know where we can find an escape route,” Chat answered, leaning a back on his hands. “It’s been how I’ve been getting in and out of the arena without alerting the Game Master.” 

Nathanael held up a hand. “Hold on, wait a second. We’re just going to leave, just like that?”

Chat gave him a single nod. “This place is going to become dangerous, more deadly than it has ever been before. We need to leave before the Game Master starts closing us in.” 

“C-closing us in?” Marinette asked. 

“Every year the Miraculous Games happen, they need to find a way to pull all of the existing Charms together without intervening. So, what they came up with was to make the arena smaller. The less room there is between Charms, the more likely they’ll run into each other and fight.” 

“And they’re going to start doing that soon?” Fox asked. 

Chat shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t had connections for the past few days, so I’m just as clueless as you two are to what the Game Master has planned.” 

Marinette groaned as she shifted her position. “Wait, Chat, have you tracked down the Game Master?” 

The kitty blinked, then tilted his head. “Uh, yeah? Why?” 

She smirked. “Then we can bring the fight to his front door.” 

“Do you really think that would be a smart idea?” Fox intervened. “Such a plan could go horribly wrong in so many places.” 

“But it would free everyone, not just us. I would rather have someone else be saved and have a great life than being selfish and only protecting myself,” Ladybug insisted. Then, she held up a finger. “And, we also need to find Adrien. He’s…” she trailed off, then sneezed violently. Both Chat and Fox leaned away from her. She sniffled and wiped her nose. “S-sorry…” she apologized, then looked at Chat. “He ran away, right?”

“Yes, and he’s not going back anytime soon.” 

“Then we need to find him,” Marinette insisted. “He’ll be an important piece to the puzzle if we want to take this fight to the Capitol.” 

“Uh, well…” Chat rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I don’t think we should.” 

She blinked. “W-what? Why not?” 

“Because… uh… I just think he’ll find his way eventually. Who knows, he might come looking for you.” 

As he said that, Ladybug’s cheeks flushed a slight pink. “What do you mean? Why would he try to find me? I’m just a sick girl trapped in a deadly arena.” 

Marinette noticed that, under his mask, Chat was blushing too. 

“Rumors say that he’s been rooting for you all along.” 

That was it. That was the line she had been sent to this Earth to hear. Marinette’s face went fiercely pink and she quickly averted her gaze to the ground as she coughed. As much as she hoped Chat or Nathanael didn’t notice, there was no way they could have missed it. 

Swallowing her coughs as much as possible, she stuttered, “U-u-uh… A-Adrien rooting f-for m-m-me? That’s c-c-crazy.” 

“But it’s only a rumor, right?” Fox clarified, giving Chat a firm glare. 

The silly cat rubbed the back of his neck, the tips of his ears a bright red. “Sure, yeah. Sure… Just a rumor.” 

“Either way, if he’s going to find his way back or not, we need to get our resources together,” Marinette said, trying to pull herself back together. “Besides, even if I die during this, it won’t be for nothing.”

The boys were silent for a good stretch of time, just staring at her as if she had teleported from the moon. Was she really  _ that _ willing to die? Chat was the first one who came back into reality. 

“Okay, so if we are going to attack him at his front door, what should we do?” 

Ladybug pulled herself up onto her knees, coughing into her elbow as she did so, then cleared her throat before she continued. “Here was what I was thinking, and I have a feeling this might work out better than anyone will believe.” 

She grabbed a stick and began to draw in the dirt. She explained her plan in detail to the two boys, the two of them listening intently and taking notes in her mind. 

As she discussed her plan, Marinette couldn’t help but feel like she was doing something right. Something that was going to change the world as they knew it. 

*** * ***

The Game Master tapped his chin as he watched the footage of three teenagers hunched over a dirt diagram. With one eyebrow raised, he tried to zoom in on their plans. He could hear them discussing options, but for some reason, he couldn’t get the microphones - all four of them - to tune into their conversation. Something was stopping them from coming through correctly. 

Scowling, the Game Master leaned away from the holographic map of the arena. Whoever this ‘Chat Noir’ was, the Game Master didn’t like him. He was always messing up his plans in some way or another. He had all kinds of booby traps set up to kill Ladybug, but for some reason, none of them had worked. The Game Master had a sneaking suspicion that Chat Noir had deactivated all of them. 

It didn’t make any sense. How did this kid, no older than a teenager, know what he was going to do next? None of the dots connected, and it was starting to frustrate the Game Master to the brink of insanity. He had to end these games, the quicker the better. 

Maybe then, it would bring home his boy… 

Why did he have to be so much like his mother? 

*** * ***

“What do you think they’re doing?” Alec asked, leaning in toward the feed that was in front of the two Miraculous Games hosts. 

“I’m not sure,” Nadja replied honestly. “It’s like the feed is being interrupted.” 

“Is that even something that could happen?” 

She shrugged. “Who knows? Everything in these games is always a mystery. It might be part of something President Agreste told the Game Master to do.” 

“Whatever it is, it’s making me curious as Ladybug’s cat protector,” Alec said. He ran his thumbs through his papers anxiously, staring at the feed for anything out of the ordinary. “It’s so odd… It’s like someone is interrupting the feed.” 

“Oh, Alec, you have such a creative mind,” Nadja said, brushing aside his comment. “There is no way anyone would be able to hack into the cameras anyway. It’s not like-” 

Before she could finish, the feed disappeared. Alec jumped back. 

“What happened?” he asked. 

Mrs. Chamach shook her head, clueless. “I have no idea.”

The hosts fiddled with their screens, hoping to find a way to turn it back on. Behind the camera, the crew broadcasting the show were shouting at one another, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. After a few minutes, Alec forced a laugh and looked into the camera. 

“W-well then,” he stuttered as he stretched a seriously-fake smile across his face, “looks like we lost the feed from inside the arena. Don’t worry, though, that just means we’ll have to catch you guys up when everything turns back on, which shouldn’t be too hard. This is Alec and Nadja signing off from the Miraculous Games report studio. Have a miraculous day!” 


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five:

##  **Chapter Twenty-Five:**

 

Chat cut his way through the underbrush, whacking each of the branches with his staff. Marinette followed behind him. She was a little shaky on her feet, but she had refused the help both Fox and Chat had offered her. It bothered Chat, knowing that Ladybug could pass out at any moment. Speaking of Nathanael, he was right behind her, making sure the group stayed together. It unnerved Chat a little bit, knowing that he was the last in the group, but even with that said, he trusted Fox to keep Marinette on her feet. 

The sun had climbed high into the sky, and Chat had a feeling it was trying to deceive them, but the worry about Marinette kept him going. He had a feeling that her tired limbs and pounding head were enough to tell her that it was early in the morning outside of the arena. Every once and awhile, he would check his silver staff and check the time. This time he checked, it read 3:37am. 

“Do you need to take some time to rest?” he asked, turning over his shoulder and speaking to Marinette. She shook her head, the sun revealing how much sweat was on her forehead. 

“No, we need to keep going.” 

Biting his lip, Chat accepted her answer, no matter how unhappy he was about it. He faced forward once more, then pushed the branches aside for his friends. Ladybug walked in front of him but stumbled over a root. She let out a cry of surprise. On instinct, Chat quickly extended his arms out and caught her before she hit the ground. The branch he had moved aside flew over his head, just barely clipping his ears, before smacking Fox right in the face. 

“OW!” Nathanael cried out, covering his whacked face by his hands. 

“Sorry,” Chat apologized as she pulled Marinette to her feet. “I had to catch her before-” 

“Just shut up. Leave me alone.” Fox snapped, shoving the branch that smacked him aside and pushing past Chat and Ladybug.

“Nathan,” Marinette croaked, “please don’t be harsh…” 

“No no, it’s fine, My Lady,” Chat replied. His expression had morphed from worried to irritated. “The poor dog probably just needs to blow off some steam. I’m not going to stop him.” 

Fox stopped and turned. “What did you just call me?” 

“A dog,” Chat answered without hesitation. “A fox is a type of dog, am I right?” 

Nathanael clenched his fists. “What’s your point?” 

Chat got to his feet and brushed off his hands. “Well, I figured that since your bark is worse than your bite, I have a feeling you have something building up inside of you.” 

Fox crossed his arms. “And that bothers you?” 

“Nah, I could care less about it. I just think that it’s bothering you instead.” 

Marinette tried to step between the two boys, but Chat put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t, My Lady.” She stopped, then stepped back. Chat looked back at Fox, whose ears were slowly turning deep red. “Is there something you want to say to me, Fox? Because I’m willing to listen right now. You seem to have been giving me the cold shoulder lately.” 

Nathanael glared at him, but he said nothing. His fists clenched and unclenched, and Chat could tell that his mind was racing. Was he finally going to tell him what was on his mind, even though he already had a pretty good idea of what it was? I mean, Chat wasn’t clueless. He could tell something was bothering Nathan, but he was tired of beating around the bush. It was time to face the problem head on. If they didn’t, it would only cause problems later on, and Chat needed Nathanael’s full trust. There would be no way they could take down the Games if Fox was still holding grudges. 

“Why do you care?” Fox finally said, turning half of his body away from the cat. 

“Because I want to make sure we work things out between the two of us,” Chat answered honestly. “We’re about to head into a war zone, and I want to know that my teammates aren’t against me in any way, shape, or form. Call it my cat-like instincts.” 

Nathanael bit his lip, then let out a long sigh. “Fine, you want to know what’s on my mind and what I’ve been concerned about?” He turned and jabbed a finger at Chat. “You keep crossing into my territory.”

“Your territory?” 

“Yes.” He paused, then finally spouted the words he had been longing to say since the beginning of the games, “I love Marinette.” 

Behind Chat, he could hear Marinette suck in a breath of surprise. No, not surprise. Something else… Was it an act? 

“You do, do you?” 

He nodded. “Yes. I’ve liked her even before we were in the games together, but now that we’ve had to stick together and work with each other, I’ve learned how much I truly do love her.” He looked over Chat’s shoulder at Ladybug. “Marinette, I feel ashamed to admit this, but I never was acting. When we agreed to play the star-crossed lovers, I… I couldn’t just let my feelings slip away. You were my entire world, and I was going to protect you from whatever or whoever wanted to hurt you.” His gaze shifted back to Chat and his gaze hardened. “Then you showed up. You took my place as her protector and stole her from me.” Fox took a step forward and jabbed a finger on Chat’s chest. “You got in the way, and I felt like I had been pushed into the background. Over time, our plan fell through. As much as I hated the idea, I thought things would work itself out when Ladybug and I won the games. But no.” He shoved Chat back, causing him to stumble. “I saw you, I saw you and Marinette kiss that one night! Do you realize how much that broke me?” 

Chat’s ears drooped and he glanced back at Marinette. She had tears in her eyes, and though she was getting better, she appeared to be at her weakest and lowest point. He could see her heart tearing in two right in front of his eyes. He looked back at Fox. 

“Nathanael, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take any of that way from you.” 

Fox scoffed. “You say that, but it’s not like you mean any of it. You would gladly take Marinette without a second thought. You have, many times. It’s always her. And though I’m grateful for you helping me out as well, I’m tired of being treated like a sack of potatoes that you have to lug around. I am not dead weight. I love Marinette just as much, and maybe more, as you do.” He stepped closer to Chat, his expression one of ferocity and murder. “So there. I told you everything. Is that what you wanted to hear?” 

The protector charm was somewhat speechless. He had thought that Nathanael had feelings for Ladybug, but this was more intense than even he had imagined. 

“Yes,” he replied. “Thank you.” 

Fox turned away, but even with his back turned, he asked, “How far is the escape from this hellhole?” 

Chat pulled his composure back together. “Not far. Maybe a fifteen-minute walk from here.” 

“Fine. Let’s move, then.” 

Fox stormed ahead, not even looking back once. Chat turned to help Marinette, and as he did so, he saw the tears that were running down her cheeks. She was leaning against a tree for support, trying to use her shaky hands to wipe them off of her face. He took a step closer. 

“Ladybug…?” he inquired softly. 

She sniffled and took a deep breath as if attempting to calm herself down. “I hurt him, didn’t I?” 

He paused, chewing on the bottom of his lip, then nodded. “Yes…” 

Marinette swallowed, more tears threatening to fall. “I never should have done this…” 

“W-what?” 

She turned to face him. Her bluebell eyes looked like shattered glass, the broken pieces of her torn heart screaming out for help. “I never should have volunteered for these Games…” 

Chat shook his head, then stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. “No, Mari, no. Don’t say that.” 

“It’s true, though,” she insisted, sobs getting caught at the back of her throat. Chat could hear them when she spoke. “I… I’ve hurt so many people. I didn’t want to, I was only trying to survive, and in the process…” A sob slipped through and she squeezed her eyes shut. “I-I hurt one of my closest friends…” 

Chat hugged her tightly, running a hand up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her. “It’s going to be okay, though,” he said as he tried to be optimistic. “Once we get out of here, we’ll be able to work things out, okay? Just stay try to stay positive.” 

She didn’t respond for a few long seconds, but eventually, she gave him a weak nod. Chat pulled away and gave her a small smile. 

“We can do this.” He looked behind him, then sighed. “We better catch up with Nathanael before he gets himself into trouble.” 

Marinette nodded. She took Chat’s gloved hand firmly in hers, and with a small, mischievous smile tickling the corner of his lips, Chat forged ahead. It took them a couple minutes to catch up with Fox, but he appeared to have been waiting for them. He had stopped at the edge of a clearing, leaning against a rock. 

“Is that where your entrance is?” he questioned, pointing to the huge structure in the center. 

“Yes,” Chat responded. 

Marinette shook her head and took a few steps back. “We shouldn’t be here. This place is a death trap.” 

“It’ll be okay,” Chat assured her. “Besides, I’ve come in and out of the Cataclysmacopia multiple times.” 

The gray structure reflected the bright sun, making long beams of light on the ground. Its Sphinx-like posture appeared haunting, no matter how brightly lit it was. The teeth, which were all at least three feet long, weren’t helping either. 

“So… where is the opening?” Marinette asked, scanning the structure for anything out of place. Nothing seemed to stick out to her. 

“It’s under the left ear,” Chat answered, pointing at the ear he was talking about. “It’s a trapdoor that leads into a long hallway. Once your pins go through the doorway, however,” he glanced at Marinette’s ladybug pin that was attached to her jacket, “it will set off an alarm. Since I know the ins-and-outs of the place, we’ll probably be able to get all the way through before we’re discovered.” 

“Then, let’s leave,” Fox snapped. “The longer we stand in here, the more likely we are to get attacked.” He gestured around him dramatically. “This is the very center of the entire arena; everyone knows that, and now that the Game Master is making the playing board smaller-” 

“Let’s go,” Marinette interrupted. Both Chat and Nathanael looked at her, surprised she had been the one to say it. 

Nathan took a deep breath. “Alright, I’m going up there. Chat, you help Ladybug. We’re getting out of here.” 

Chat nodded, but Fox didn’t see the gesture. He took off running. Marinette wrapped an arm around Chat’s neck and he helped her hobble along quickly through the open field. What was so frustrating to Chat was the fact that the Cataclysmacopia was in the very center. No matter where you were in the clearing, almost anyone could spot you. At night and alone, it hadn’t bothered him in the slightest. Now that he had two Charms with him and it was the middle of the day… 

Something moved out of the corner of his eye. He flicked his gaze toward it just in time to see a black shape disappear into the shadows. He quickly shouted to Fox, who was almost to the top of the structure, “Time to go!”

“I know!” Nathanael shouted, pulling himself up onto the roof of the cat. “Which side is it again?” 

“The left! The hatch should be on the right side of the ear. Hurry!” In order to go faster, Chat unwrapped Marinette’s arm from around his neck and grabbed her hand. “You have to run as fast as you can,” he hissed to her. “We’ve been spotted.” 

She nodded and tightened her grip. Chat took that as his cue and took off in a sprint, pulling her along behind him. She stumbled at first but was soon able to get her feet under her to keep going. 

“Fox!” Chat called, “What’s taking you so long?!” 

“The latch is stuck!” Nathanael reported. “Did you lock it, you sneaky pest?!” 

“No! I always leave it partly open!” 

Just then, there was a scream. The hand that gripped his slackened. Chat turned his head just in time to see Marinette collapse to the ground, a knife embedded in her back. 


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six:

##  **Chapter Twenty-Six:**

 

“Ladybug!” Chat cried out. He whipped out his staff as fast as he could and began to spin it, stepping over her. As he spun his weapon, more knives came his way, but they were all deflected. Scowling, he scanned the clearing. There was no one. 

“Is she okay?!” Fox called, and Chat could hear the worry in his tone. 

“Show yourself!” Chat shouted, but it wasn’t directed at Nathanael. “I know you’re out there! Come and fight like a man!” 

“Well, I’m not one, so why should I?” a voice replied. Chat spun around just in time to block a knife from stabbing into his own back. Under him, Marinette moaned and tried to pull herself up onto her knees. 

“Don’t get up, My Lady,” he ordered. “You’ll only hurt yourself.” 

“Why don’t you let her fight? Besides, I’ve heard she’s really good at it. Seen it, too.” 

Chat turned again but wasn’t quick enough to block the knife that sailed toward him. It flew by his face and sliced his cheek, including the bottom half of his mask. The knife hit the Cataclysmacopia with a clang! He winced, stumbling back and gripping his baton tighter. 

“Quit hiding in the shadows! If you want to win, come get us!”

There was an evil laughter right behind him. “Gladly.”

“Chat! Behind you!” Fox shouted. 

Chat turned just in time to miss a blade that just barely nicked his ear. The person who was attacking them stood confidently in the middle of the meadow, no more than fifty feet away. Chat had been wrong, it wasn’t a man. It was a girl, short and with bright pink hair. One-half of it was pulled into a ponytail, like Marinette’s had been, while the other half was in a free-flowing pixie cut. She had an evil smile plastered across her face, almost as if she were a doll. Though she wore the exact same clothes as every other charm did, hers were dyed black. It reminded Chat too much about his own costume to make him feel comfortable. 

“What do you want from us?” he demanded, lowering his staff and pointing it at her menacingly. 

The girl chuckled, but it almost seemed robotic. “Really? You don’t know? You’re the protector Charm here, I thought you would at least have some brains inside of that small head of yours.” From a strap that crisscrossed over her back, she pulled out throwing knives, one for each hand. “I want to win these games. I want to survive this, no matter what the cost might be.” 

“Well, that cost is going to be paid right here, right now.” Chat glanced into the corner of his eye. Fox stood not too far away from him, his fists raised in a fighting stance. 

The girl smiled. “Now that’s what I like to see. A couple of boys being men. Who knew it would take you this long to do it, especially since you’ve been fighting over the same girl for the past three weeks.” 

Chat narrowed his eyes. “How do you know about that?” 

“Why should I give away my little secret? It’s not like I plan on losing to the likes of you anyway.” 

The cat scowled, glaring at their opponent. “I am not afraid to rip your throat out if I need to. You hurt Ladybug, and that’s enough to get me to destroy an entire city!” 

The girl laughed. “Oh please, do you really think I’m going to stand down that easily? Just because you threaten me? A panther would know better.” 

Chat furrowed his eyebrows. So that’s who she was. The Panther Charm, Alix. He had talked to her once or twice outside of the arena before the games had started. She had seemed nice enough, maybe a little on the harsh side in her humor department, but this seemed way too out of line, even for her. Something was going on. And he was going to find out what. 

“We aren’t afraid to fight you,” Fox reiterated. “We can take you down faster than you could even blink. You threatened the one thing we care about in these games.” He scowled, his glowering gaze indicating he was on the brink of murdering Alix on the spot. “And that’s enough to push anyone to their limit.” 

Panther laughed. “How about we cut the chit-chat and actually have a fight, shall we? This should be fun. I’ve dreamed about taking at least one of you out, but two at the same time? What a lucky treat.” 

Chat barely had enough time to lean to his left before he saw a flash of silver. A knife barely missed his shoulder. Another knife had been shot in Fox’s direction, but he had dodged it easily, diving forward and rolling across the ground. He stood up and balled his fists, sneering.

“I don’t know what you call lucky, but this will be your worst nightmare.”

“Oh, boo hoo. I’m soooo scared. What are you going to do about it? Scratch me with your nails?” 

Nathanael let out a war cry and charged at her. Chat saw her smirk, the slightest upturn of her lips. She flicked her wrists, and pieces of silver went flying through the air. Fox closed his eyes, ready for their impact, but still pressing forward. He wasn’t afraid of this girl. He was tired of being afraid. 

The next thing he knew, he slammed into something hard and hit the ground hard. He opened his eyes to see Panther pinned beneath him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the thing that had saved his life: Chat’s baton. It had knives sticking out of it, each one embedded deeply into the metal. One of the blades was making the staff spark. That couldn’t be a good sign. 

Chat came running over to Nathanael, but before he could get there, Panther let out an infuriated cry. With as much strength as she could muster, she pushed Nathanael off of her and sent him rolling. She turned to face Chat but was firmly punched across the face. She stumbled back and held her face. Even though she had been hit, she had a triumphant smile on her face. Except, it didn’t seem real. It was like someone was stretching her face muscles and forcing her to do it. 

“Who knew a kitty cat could punch so hard? I’m impressed.” 

“Quit taunting me,” Chat warned. “You’re still going to get beat to a pulp anyway.” 

Alix laughed. “You’re kidding, right? Are you trying to make this harder for yourself or are you just that stupid?”

Chat let a fierce smile decorate his expression. “I think you have the wrong word there.” From behind Panther, Fox let out a cry of attack. Before she could even turn around or react to his sudden noise, she was slammed in the face by Nathan’s boot. Alix screamed and hit the meadow’s dirt ground with a THUMP. 

For the first time in his life, Chat felt like an animal. He could understand why the Miraculous Game's theme was animals this year. He could feel the adrenaline running through his veins. He was going to protect his life, his prosperity. He wasn’t only going to save the people he cared about, he was going to save himself. He was never going to let his father rule over him again, now that he had felt this kind of power; the power of his own free will. 

“Clever,” Panther coughed out, rolling onto her side. “But I doubt you’ll be able to keep this going on forever.” 

“We don’t plan on it,” Fox spat. 

Alix chuckled. “Too bad. I thought you would at least give me some sort of game to play. Oh well, guess it’s time to finally let loose.” 

Chat knit his eyebrows and was about to demand to tell her what she meant, but his answer came quickly, almost too quickly. 

Panther was on her feet faster than he was ready for. She pulled a knife on him, slicing one of his arms and kicking him back before he could do anything. Chat fell back into the grass, wincing and trying to get his bearings. What had just happened? Something hit the ground next to him, but he didn’t have time to look. With his right arm throbbing in pain, he moaned and tried to stand, but something pressed down on his chest. It was Panther’s black boot. 

“Ah, that’s much better. Now everything’s where it’s supposed to be.” 

Chat struggled, but something cold and sharp was pressed against his throat. It was another one of her throwing knives. Where was she getting all of these?

“Make another move and you won’t have a head anymore,” she warned.

“You know,” someone said behind her, “all of you Charms are starting to piss me off.” 

Chat looked over his opponent’s shoulder in amazement. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was unbelievable, impossible. There was no way this was happening. Did he hit his head too hard on the ground? She couldn’t be… She couldn’t be standing there. There was no other way to say it, it was impossible. 

“Leave them alone,” Marinette demanded, her expression as cold and steely as a piece of metal. “Or you will die by my hand.” 

Alix, who apparently had been able to pin Nathanael down as well with her knives, appeared just as shocked as Chat and Fox were. Both boys were staring at Marinette in utter disbelief. There was no explanation that could make sense of what she was doing. Ladybug, who had been stabbed in the back and was suffering from a severe fever, was standing tall. In her hands, she gripped Chat’s baton. Though it still sparked, it didn’t make her any less scary, and, in fact, it seemed to enhance the scare-factor. 

“I said, leave them alone,” Ladybug stated again. She jabbed the staff at Alix. She flinched, inching away from the sparking piece of metal. 

“You can’t take me on,” Panther threatened. “If anything, if you move, both of your friends die.” 

Marinette shook her head. “One charm already did that to me, I’m not falling for it again.” 

In a swift motion, the staff extended and smacked Alix straight in the chest. The girl went flying, rolling through the meadow and doing somersaults over herself. Marinette took a few steps forward, pounding the staff into the ground. Luckily, for Chat’s and Fox’s sake, it stuck in the ground just mere inches away from their faces. 

“Get out of here or you’ll be thrown out,” Marinette spat at Alix. Her eyes flashed murderously like she was about to tear the not-nice black cat to shreds. 

Alix sat up, staring at Marinette as if she were afraid to make the wrong move. 

“I’m sparing you,” Ladybug shouted, causing both Chat and Nathan to jump as well as their opponent Charm, “so get out of here!”

Without another prodding of the stick (literally), the pink-haired Charm scrambled to her feet and ran for her life. After a few moments, she disappeared into the woods. 

Chat pulled himself up into a sitting position. He rubbed the back of his head, about to say thank you to his Lady for saving them, but before he could, Marinette’s hand slackened on the pole. 

Without a second thought, Chat called out, “Ladybug!”

He rushed forward but wasn’t able to get there in time before she hit the ground hard. When he saw her back, he stopped in his tracks. The knife was still firmly stuck there, sticking out like some sort of broken bone. Swallowing, he cautiously made his way forward and put a hand on her shoulder blade. She didn’t respond. Marinette was out cold. 

Groaning, Nathanael pulled himself to his feet. “That’s it. We’re leaving this arena before any more stupid charms decide it’s the perfect opportunity to wipe us out.” 

“Don’t act like it’s a joke,” Chat snapped. 

“I wasn’t,” Fox responded with a hint of edge in his tone. He folded his arms. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to be the joke master here? Why would I want to steal your job? It’s not like you’ve stolen mine before.” 

Chat scowled and was about to spit out some names he thought fit Nathan perfectly, but he bit his tongue. This wasn’t the time. Marinette was dying right in front of him. They needed to get her out of the arena before anything else happened to her.” 

“I agree with you,” Chat responded cooly. “We need to get Ladybug out of the arena.” 

“Awesome, so let’s quit standing here like a bunch of prairie dogs and get a move on.” 

Nodding, Chat reached over and pulled his staff out of the ground. He scowled and attempted to make it smaller. With a lot of creaking and moaning, it did its job. He worried, however, that it would never be able to open again. But that was the least of their problems. 

He bent down and scooped Marinette’s weak figure into his arms. She didn’t even wince when he accidently hit the knife. The only reaction he was able to pull from her was a small twitch under one of her eyes. He sighed, grateful for the fact that she at least had some sort of response happening. 

It didn’t take long for Nathanael and Chat to climb their way up to the top of the Cataclysmacopia, even with Marinette in Chat’s arms. They still had plenty of adrenaline running through their veins, maybe a little bit too much. Both were shaking as Fox pried open the ear that led to a ladder and went straight down. As the hatch opened, lights along the wall lit up, revealing the hallway far below. Their escape route. 

“I’ll go first,” Chat offered. “You close the door behind us. Remember, once I go through, Ladybug’s miraculous will set off the alarm.” 

Nathanael gave him a single nod. With that, Chat took a deep breath and climbed down into the hole as cautiously as he could. He was lucky that he could hold Marinette close to him as he climbed down and that the hole was big enough for two people. As Chat reached the third rung down, the alarm sounded.

A screeching noise could be heard all across the entire arena. The sky, which had been once a  cheery blue was now pulsing red. 

“Time to go,” Fox muttered. Chat took that as his cue to descend faster. As he was about halfway down the ladder, Nathanael climbed in and closed the cat ear behind him. Even with the hatch closed, both boys could hear the alarms in the arena still blaring. Luckily, they were out of the most dangerous part of their mission so far. 

Reaching the bottom, Chat took a few steps back so Nathanael could join him. As his friend climbed off the ladder, Chat readjusted Ladybug’s form. She still didn’t react, and the only thing that told him that she was still alive was the faint heartbeat that he could feel through his leather jacket. Call it his cat instincts or whatever, but he could feel her struggle, and though it was hard to bear - especially with a throbbing arm and cheek - he knew that he had to stay strong for her. He had to stay strong for his La-

“Well well, looks like you finally made it,” said a cruel voice. “I never thought you would have gotten this far.” 

Both boys spun around. Chat’s eyes widened in fear and he tightened his grip on Marinette. Standing in the middle of the hallway, his silver mask gleaming and a cane propped in front of him, the Game Master smiled heartlessly. 

This was it. Their fight was over. 


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven:

##  **Chapter Twenty-Seven:**

 

Nino sat alone in Adrien’s room, wringing his hands together as he stared at the black TV screen. The Miraculous Game’s footage had been lost and the news networks were desperately trying to get it back online. On top of that, the entire Agreste household was already a chaotic mess. Ever since Adrien had left, the mansion had been flipped on its head. President Agreste was harsher than usual, barking orders at servants and his assistant, Nathalie. Nino had retreated to Adrien’s unoccupied room, not only to escape the craziness of the house but to also ponder. 

Where had Adrien gone? 

From what he had heard, no one had found him. He wasn’t in their district, the neighboring district, or even the one on the other side of that one. He had just disappeared. 

Nino took a deep breath and pulled off his hat. It was a plain, white servants cap that he had been forced to wear ever since day one. He couldn’t help but remember how Adrien had teased him about it. Smirking, Nino tossed the hat onto the coffee table and rested his back against the cushions. 

It wasn’t like he was worried about Adrien, he knew that he could handle himself, but the fact that he hadn’t told him - his best friend - that he was going to run away stung a little. Nino had snuck food to him and risked his job so Adrien could eat, but in return, his friend had dropped him like a sack of unwanted potatoes. 

He wasn’t hurt by that, but he was concerned. Something was up. There was something Adrien wasn’t telling him. The minute Nino had heard that his friend was missing, that was the first thing that had come to mind; something didn’t quite add up. 

Now that Gabriel Agreste was out of the house, Nino realized that now would be as good a time as any to start an investigation. Why should he hide away when he could figure out what happened to his best friend? 

Getting to his feet, Nino scanned the room for anything suspicious. Nothing jumped out at him at first, but the more he looked, the more his eyebrows knit together. No, Adrien wouldn’t hide things in plain sight. Servants, including himself, went through his room and cleaned it every day. If Adrien were to hide something, it would need to be in a place that the other people in the mansion didn’t know about. 

Nino strolled across the room, looking at the bookshelves as his mind came up with ideas. Maybe there was a secret hallway between a bookshelf and a wall? No, that couldn’t be it. Too cliche. Could anything fit inside of the skating ramp? No, that wouldn’t work either. 

Deciding that there couldn’t be anything in the main room, Nino decided to walk into the bathroom. He remembered something about the bathroom window being unlocked when he had searched the room the day after Adrien had left. Maybe there was something there, some clue that he had overlooked. 

Nino closed the bathroom door behind him, then scratched his head as he thought. Where would Adrien hide something? 

He smiled as an idea came to his mind. Walking over to the bathroom sink, he bent down and opened the cabinet door. As it swung open, Nino expected to find some sort of buried treasure, but all he saw was foundation, a charger, soup, and-

Wait. A charger? Under a sink?

Nino reached inside and pulled on the cord. It didn’t give, seeming to be plugged into the wall. He yanked on it again, following where the cord led. Unsurprisingly, it seemed to have fallen out of one of the side drawers. Furrowing his eyebrows, Nino analyzed the end that he held. It seemed like something plugged into it, like some sort of hand-held device. It was black with a small insignia of a green paw print on one side. Fiddling with it, he figured that it didn’t go to any tablet or phone that he had ever seen. It honestly didn’t make any sense. 

Setting the charger aside, he searched under the sink more thoroughly. He counted the drawers, two on each side. He couldn’t see inside of them, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Frowning, Nino leaned back, looking at the countertop and each of the drawers. Two on one side and one on the other. 

Wait. Where was the second drawer on the left side? 

Nino put a hand on the spot where the other drawer should have been. This was where the cord had fallen out of. There had to be a way to open it. 

After a couple minutes of Nino scouring the sink for any clues, he found a button on the underside of the cabinet. He smiled.

Clever Adrien. 

Nino pushed it, and the hidden drawer popped out. With careful fingers, he pried it open. His eyes widened. Inside, there was a scrapbook, the rest of the strange charger he had found, and a mask. It wasn’t just any mask, though. It was a black, leather one. It was ripped on one side, a needle and thread sticking out of it as if it were in the middle of being fixed.

What was Adrien doing with a black mask? 

Reaching inside, Nino picked up the scrapbook. It was surprisingly light for as big as it looked. Nino bit his lip, wondering if he should snoop anymore. He had already crossed a line that Adrien probably wouldn’t be happy about, but he was already going to be in trouble. Why not figure out a little bit more about his best friend? 

He opened the scrapbook. Nino froze. On the first page, a picture of a beautiful woman was glued carefully to a pale blue piece of cardstock. It wasn’t any woman, though. Nino recognized her from the photos around the house. It was Adrien’s mom. 

No one knew, not even the servants, where she had disappeared to. Nino hadn’t been working for President Agreste when she disappeared, but he knew all about how she had vanished. It was said that she had been unhappy in her marriage and had run away, abandoning her only child in the process. Nino didn’t believe that. Nor did he believe the theory that she had been cheating on President Agreste. Even though their marriage had been an arranged one, Nino didn’t see Adrien’s mom as someone who would turn her back on her first-born son. 

Thinking back on it, Nino realized that they had been set up the same way Adrien was; through the Miraculous Games. 

Hold on… 

Closing the scrapbook, Nino set it back inside the drawer and picked up the mask. The needle pricked him, but it didn’t bother him in the slightest. His mind was already going a thousand miles an hour. 

Everything finally made so much sense. 

*** * ***

Fox balled his fists and stepped forward, placing Chat and Marinette behind him. “What do you want?”

The Game Master smirked. He took a step forward as the heroes took a step back. “I’m here to set things right. Permanently.” 

“I’m not going to let you hurt anyone else,” Chat spat, glaring and sneering at the man. He held Marinette close to his chest. “I’m never going to let you hurt her! I know you’re only here to take her away from us!” 

Nathanael snarled. “You’re the one trying to kick us out of the games. I knew something fishy was going on.” 

The Game Master stuffed one of his hands into his dark suit. He looked past Fox and set his gaze on Chat’s. His smile grew stern. 

“Your father says it’s time to come home and to stop playing this little game,” he said simply. 

Chat froze. His grip on Marinette tightened, and it got to a point where Chat had to remind himself that he needed to loosen it. 

“No,” Chat declared, “I’m not leaving without Ladybug.” 

The Game Master sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You’re playing a foolish game, boy, and I would advise you let go of your silly dream. The games need to continue as normal and with no more interruptions.” 

“No,” he repeated. “I am not leaving without Marinette. She is why I’m here and I’m not going to leave her just because some  _ freak _ in a black suit and silver mask tells me to!” 

The Game Master raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Fox, who appeared as though he would pounce on him at any moment, and Marinette. She was still out cold in Chat’s arms, appearing to just barely be breathing. 

“Have you told them who you really are?” 

Chat swallowed, his Adam’s apple bouncing. A droplet of nervous sweat traced down his forehead and his hands began to shake, but even through all of that, he didn’t respond. 

The Game Master lifted his chin. “Interesting. I’m surprised they even trust you.” 

“I don’t,” Fox snapped, “but that doesn’t mean we aren’t a team.” 

He chuckled, but it was dark, brooding almost. “You are all fools. Do you want to know who he really is?” 

Chat stood his ground, ready for whatever the Game Master had to throw at him. He was going to fight. He wasn’t going to be a coward. He was going to save Marinette and Nathan, and no one was going to stop him. 

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” Chat insisted. “What does matter, however, is that we’re getting out of here. I am not going to let the person that I love die, and you know full well that I’m not going to leave her.” 

The Game Master shook his head, looking down at the floor as if he were disappointed. “You’re not getting past me, Adrien. I’m not going to let you leave with your friends.” 

Fox stopped what he was doing and spun on Chat. His eyes were wide with shock and he looked like he was about to have a heart attack. 

“Y-you’re… you’re Adrien Agreste? The kid that we’re-” 

“Yes,” Chat, or Adrien, said, cutting him off. “I wanted a say in all of this. I wanted to choose my own soon-to-be wife,” he turned to glare at the Game Master, “not some sort of jerk who sits in a dark room and huddles over a life-sized video game.” 

Defiantly holding Ladybug close, he took a step forward and shouted, “I’m in control of my own life! And I’m going to follow my dreams just like my mother told me!” 

The Game Master’s form tensed and he clenched his fists. “Your words aren’t going to save you from my wrath,” he muttered, his tone sharp. “You stepped out of line, broke your father’s rules, and ran away. For that, I have no choice but to give you the punishment you deserve.” 

The Game Master waved his hand, and the next thing Chat knew, Fox went flying forward. His partner stumbled for a few feet but didn’t fall. Chat watched in horror as a flash of purple enveloped Nathanael.

“Fox!” he shouted. 

In reply, there was a deep laughter that echoed the room. The purple faded away to show Nathanael but wasn’t the boy Adrien had come to know. His red hair hung in his eyes, which were no longer his own. The turquoise green eyes had changed to a deep purple and his pupils were now completely silver. He glared at Chat as if he were the enemy and not the Game Master. His clothes had changed as well. The outfit that had once been identical to Marinette’s was now silver and purple. And the most shocking thing of all, his fox miraculous pin was no longer orange. It was pure black. 

The new Nathan stepped toward Chat, his fists raised. 

Chat scooted backward, his eyes flashing with fear. What was he going to do? He couldn’t take down Fox and fight a full-grown man. And what about Marinette? She was still bleeding, her blood seeping into his black gloves. How was he going to get her to help if he couldn’t leave the arena. She would die if he didn’t hurry!

“The choice is still up to you, Adrien,” the Game Master said. “You can come home and be with your Father like things should have been, or you can suffer at the hands of your own friends.” 

Adrien shut his eyes tightly. He couldn’t let Marinette get hurt. They had come too far, she had sacrificed too much, for him to give up now. 

His fear melted into an uncontrollable rage. He could feel his insides heating up and a scowl etch itself into his expression. 

“I’m not leaving My Lady.” 


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight:

##  **Chapter Twenty-Eight:**

 

Fox lunged. Chat spun around and dropped to one knee as Nathanael’s hand sailed over his head. Marinette moaned in Adrien’s arms, her head rolling around dangerously. He needed to find a place to set her down while he fought. Fast. 

Chat stood up and kicked the back of Nathan’s legs. The cursed Charm crumpled, giving Chat just enough time to run over to the wall and set Marinette down. She didn’t respond this time, her body not reacting. Biting his lip, Chat pulled out his broken baton then placed a hand on the knife that was still in her back. He had been afraid to take it out, but now he had no choice. He needed a weapon and it needed to be out of her back. With a grunt, he yanked it out as carefully as he could. Marinette sucked in a breath but didn’t wake, even though her blood was starting to pool on the floor. Chat spun to face Fox. 

His opponent had gotten to his feet, glaring and sneering at Chat. 

“Nathanael, listen to me,” Adrien begged, his arms outstretched. “Ladybug is hurt. If we don’t get her out of here, she’ll die.” 

“Why should I help her?” Fox questioned, but his voice wasn’t his. It sounded like someone was trying to mimic his voice, but it wasn’t quite right like they had an accent of some sort. “She ditched me a long time ago. It’s not like I would have told her. She hurt me, you hurt me! So I’m going to hurt you in return!” 

“Fox, please!” Chat pleaded, but his partner lunged at him. Adrien ducked just in time to miss Nathan’s swinging fist. On instinct, Adrien kicked him, sending the Fox charm sprawling back. Hissing, Fox let out a fearsome cry. He glared at Chat, his eyes flickering with rage before gripping his pin. Adrien was confused at first, but it didn’t take long for him to figure out what his enemy was doing. 

“ _ Mordetis! _ ” Fox shouted.

As Nathan finished yelling, he opened his mouth. Chat watched in horror as sharp fangs grew where each of his incisors was, appearing to be as sharp as knives. Hunching over, Fox bared his new teeth and stalked forward. Adrien’s legs began to shake. He wasn’t sure fighting a boy with fangs for teeth was the smartest option. 

Even though it scared him half to death, Chat planted his feet and tightened his grip on the knife. For Ladybug.

Nathan came running forward, then kicked his leg up. Chat blocked it with his baton. Another punch came flying toward his face. Chat ducked. Back and forth the two went. Fox would swing a fist, Adrien would attempt to block it. He was successful most of the time, but every once and awhile, the akumitized dog would smack him good. 

Swing. Dodge. Swipe. Duck. Punch. Block. 

Nathanael growled angrily, then sideswiped Chat’s hand that held the knife. The blood-stained knife skidded away. 

In victory, Nathan cried out as he raised both arms, “ _ Die, stupid cat! _ ”

Alarmed, Chat raised his baton and willed it to open. It wasn’t happy with the request, but it opened just enough to grip with both hands. Nathan’s fists came down like wrecking balls. They slammed into his staff. The metal groaned in Adrien’s gloved hands, warning him that it couldn’t sustain much more pressure. 

Fox’s sneering face was mere inches away from Chat’s terrified one. 

“I’m going to take you down once and for all,” Nathan gloated, his purple eyes glinting evilly and his tongue licking his sharp teeth. “Just like every other Charm I’ve faced that stood between Marinette and me.” 

“Nathanael,” Adrien obtested, “please stop this. You’re my friend! I want to free you from this! Let’s get out of his arena and never return. Listen to me!”

“No!” Fox leaned in, teeth firmly gritted as he spoke. His voice was low, but his words sent chills through Chat’s blood. “You may be the president’s son, but that doesn’t mean you can have everything you want. Ladybug is mine, always has been.” 

Adrien’s eyebrows furrowed with rage. His green eyes flashed and he pressed back against Nathan’s crazy super strength. 

“Marinette isn’t property,” he stated, “and because you think that way, you never deserved her in the first place.” 

Fox screamed, then kneed Chat in the gut. Adrien’s breath disappeared and he dropped to his knees, coughing and gasping for air. Nathan took the opportunity to take a fistful of his opponent's hair and throw his head sideways. Adrien let out a cry of pain, hitting the floor with a thud. One of his high-tech ears broke off, skittering across the floor and sparking. Fox planted a firm kick to his chest. Adrien fought for breath as he was forced onto his back. 

Nathanael rested his shoe on Chat’s throat, pressing down on it as he leaned in. 

“Did you really think you could fight me off, tomcat?” 

Though he struggled to breathe, grasping his enemy’s ankle tightly as he hopelessly fought for air, Adrien glared up at Fox. There had to be a way to get him to come around. The real Nathanael was still in there somewhere, fighting back. Hopefully. The real Nathan wouldn’t hurt his friends like this.

“Nathanael…” Chat choked out desperately, “this isn’t you…” 

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Fox leaned in and grabbed a handful of Adrien’s precious locks. “I am Nathanael, the true Fox. I am the boy who has protected Ladybug throughout the entire Miraculous Games, and I’m not going to let you take her away from me. Not now, not ever.” 

“Nathan, p-please…!” Adrien begged, losing the fight against Fox’s boot. Tears began to pool in the corners of his eyes. “This i-isn’t you…! S-snap out of it… L-Ladybug is dying and we need to w-work together to get her out; to take down the Game Master!” The tears fell, tracing down his cheeks and dripping off of his jawline. Green eyes pleaded with the purple. “Do it for Marinette, for Ladybug!”

Just as he finished saying that, Fox’s purple eyes flickered. It was almost like an old TV screen, flipping back and forth between channels. Turquoise blue flashed for a split second before the purple returned. 

“Stop it,” Fox growled. 

Adrien didn’t. “ She won’t survive without you! Save her!”

“STOP!” Fox raised his fist to punch Chat across the face, but his arm halted mid-swing. His eyes kept switching between the dark purple and their normal color. For a moment, Adrien saw the un-akumatized Nathanael staring down at his friend in fear, but the second passed so quickly, it almost seemed like a dream. 

“You little-” 

“I can’t help her anymore! She’s going to die!” Chat shouted. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears flowing freely down his face. 

He couldn’t bear this pain anymore, not the pain of being choked to death, but the responsibility to keep Marinette alive. She was less than ten feet away, but there wasn’t anything else he could do. He and Marinette were both going to die. But not by just anything, by one of their most trusted friends.

Choking back a sob, he let out the most heartbreaking plea of his entire life:

“ _ Save her, Nathanael! _ ” 

Snap!

Fox sucked in a violent gasp. The pressure disappeared from Adrien’s neck and the protector charm’s airway opened. He took a deep breath, his lungs filling with much-needed air. He barely had enough time to feel like himself again before Nathanael screamed in pain. Chat quickly turned his attention to his akumatized friend. 

Fox was on his knees, his knuckles turning white from clenching them so tightly. He was hunched over, appearing as though he might projectile vomit. His back was arched and his whole body shook. 

“G-get out o-of h-h-here…” he coughed, his voice like an old record - scratched up and cracking. “Get M-Marinette t-to s-safety…” 

Adrien scrambled to his feet. “But what about you?”

With trembling fingers, Nathanael reached for something on his jacket. Chat realized with a shock what it was: his Miraculous. It was flickering back and forth between orange and the deep blackish-purple, but couldn’t stay constantly one color. 

“T-there’s only o-one way y-y-you’ll b-be able t-to esc-cape…” 

Nathan gripped it tightly. He grimaced, as though it were burning his fingers. He tilted his head just enough to catch Adrien’s gaze. The purple had completely vanished from his eyes. The turquoise blue orbs answered every question Adrien could have asked at that moment. However, the most prominent thing about them was the message it sent him. 

Run. 

“T-tell her w-what I d-did f-for her… w-will y-you…?” 

Adrien’s heart broke. He could see the amount of suffering manifesting itself through Nathanael’s expression, and he couldn’t help but bite his lip to keep from crying. With tearful eyes, he nodded and took a step back. 

“I promise.” 

Not much had been said, but so much had been understood. Reluctantly, Adrien turned his back to Fox, taking a moment to honor his commitment, before rushing over Marinette. Behind him, he couldn’t block out Nathanael’s gut-wrenching screams. 

However, once they started, they abruptly stopped. 

Closing his eyes, Adrien told himself that if he ever saw Nathanael again, he would apologize for everything he had ever said or done to hurt him. 

Chat scooped Marinette’s bloody and broken body into his arms. She had lost a lot of blood, especially after he had pulled the knife out of her back. Even with that, he could still feel a faint heartbeat. She was still with him. 

Adrien took off down the hallway. Ladybug’s blood dropped between his fingers and stained his Chat Noir costume, but he didn’t care. He needed to get her out of there as soon as possible. The Game Master had disappeared, though Adrien didn’t care one bit. 

All that mattered was getting Marinette to safety. 

*** * ***

“It’s back online!” Alec announced. 

“Oh, thank the stars,” Nadja commented, resting a hand on her heart. “I was so worried we had lost connection for good.” 

The male host nodded. “I can’t help but agree with you. Seems like a lot has happened since we last had a connection.” Alec leaned in a checked the statistics in the bottom corner. His eyes widened. 

“I can’t believe it!” he exclaimed.

“What is it?” Mrs. Chamach asked. 

He pointed to the chart, his mouth stretching into a wide smile. “We have a winner!” 

“Really? That was fast,” Nadja said. 

“I know right?!” Clearing his throat, Alec straightened his posture and turned toward the camera. He plastered the biggest smile he had ever produced across his face. “Ladies and gentleman, I am proud to announce that there is one remaining Charm in the games and the winner of this year’s Miraculous games is… Chloe Bourgeois!” 


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine:

##  **Chapter Twenty-Nine:**

 

Chat stumbled through his bathroom window, sweating and covered in blood. Marinette’s limp body was pressed tightly against his chest. He hadn’t let his grip loosen the whole time he ran, but now that he felt safe at home, he let his fingers slacken. He tossed his baton into the bone-dry sink, which sent it spinning in circles before stopping at the bottom of the bowl. Bowing his head in exhaustion, Adrien reached up to his face and took off his black mask. It was shredded on one side while the other half was stained with blood. Clutching it in his hand, he stumbled to the bathroom door and opened it.

Someone let out a surprised cry. Adrien’s head shot up and he took a step back, his grasp tightening on Marinette. He was ready to fight again. 

“Dude, what are you doing?!” Nino exclaimed, coming out of his hiding spot from behind the couch. It appeared as though he had jumped there when Adrien had opened the door. His eyes fell to Marinette’s broken body. His face paled. “Oh no…” 

“Nino, I need your help,” Adrien said, his eyes pleading with his friend. “We need to get Marinette to a doctor.” He turned away and walked directly over to his bed. With as much caution as possible, he set Ladybug down on her side and pressed his left hand against the wound on her back.

“But… but how did you get out of the arena without being seen?” Nino asked as he came over to the foot of the bed. 

“We didn’t. The Game Master discovered us as we were escaping, turned one of our friends against us, and disappeared before I could get to him.” Adrien turned to look up at his friend. “Fetch some gauze, hydrogen peroxide, a knife, and as many towels as you can.” 

Nino nodded and immediately left to get the supplies. Once he was gone, Adrien looked back at Marinette. Her face was ghostly pale and it almost seemed as though her skin was transparent. After taking off his blood-stained gloves and tossing them onto his side table, Adrien knelt down beside his bed. He lovingly brushed his fingers across her cheek. He could feel her slight breath tickle his thumb, but other than that, he didn’t receive any response from her. 

“It’ll be okay, My Lady,” he whispered. “You’re going to get better, don’t you worry.” 

Marinette didn’t make the slightest of movements, except for taking in a deep breath. Adrien’s eyebrows raised in surprise and he leaned in. 

“Mari, can you hear me? Can you move?” 

She didn’t respond. Just then, Nino walked in, his arms full of towels and a bag full of the other things Adrien had requested swung on his wrist. 

“Is this enough?” he asked. 

Adrien nodded and got to his feet. “Yes, this should be plenty.” He turned back to look at Marinette. “I may not be a certified doctor, but this will be the best I can do for her, for now, at least.” He bent down and carefully pulled her arms out of her sleeves. He then, with as much caution as possible, peeled her jacket off of her back. He tossed it aside and held out his hand.

“Knife,” he ordered. 

Nino dropped the towels on the other side of the bed and stuffed his hand into the bag that dangled on his arm. He pulled out the pocket knife and handed it to his friend. Adrien took it gratefully, then came around the side of the bed and grabbed the bottom of Marinette’s shirt. 

He closed his eyes and muttered, “I’m so sorry, My Lady.” 

Then, he gripped the knife tighter and cut the shirt from bottom to collar. It stuck to her body at first, but after Adrien requested help from Nino, the two were able to remove the cloth from around the wound. 

“Hold it there,” Adrien ordered. Nino did as he was told and held the shirt away from her skin. Adrien ignored the fact that he was staring at Marinette’s bare back and got to work. Avoiding her bra strap as much as possible, he used some of the towels to wipe off the blood. Part of him felt bad for ruining his father’s new white towels, but this was an emergency. They could buy new towels. Marinette only had one life. 

Together, the two boys took care of Marinette. Adrien cleaned her wound with the hydrogen peroxide while Nino cleared away the bloody towels so they didn’t make a bigger mess than they already had. As Adrien wiped away the bubbling peroxide, he realized something. 

“Nino,” he said, “you didn’t seem at all surprised that I was Chat Noir.”

His friend chuckled. “Bro, I discovered your secret literally minutes before you arrived. Call it my best friend instinct.” His smile faded and he looked down. “Although, I was kinda upset that you didn’t tell me about it. I’ve been your friend for a long time, man, and I thought you trusted me with your secret. Like, dude, I risked my job - maybe even my life - so you could eat.” 

Adrien paused, his hand stopping a few inches above Marinette’s back. Guiltily, he dropped his head. “I’m sorry, Nino. I didn’t want to put you in danger, and I thought I could handle things all by myself. Now I realize…” His gaze drifted to Marinette. “I… I can’t do this on my own.” 

Nino put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay, buddy. I don’t blame you. It was hard, and I can understand.”

Adrien nodded, grateful that Nino was able to sympathize with him, no matter how small it was. As the two friends were bonding, however, Marinette groaned quietly. Adrien’s attention immediately switched back to her. She moved, her arm shifting on the bed. 

“C...chat..?” she called out. 

Adrien and Nino met gazes, frozen on the spot. Nino motioned with his gaze like, Dude, say something. Tell her the truth. 

Adrien bit his lip. After taking a deep breath, he came around the bed and knelt down next to his partner. He gave her a compassionate smile. 

“Hi, Marinette.” 

Her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. Her cheeks went bright red. 

“A-Adrien!” she exclaimed. She attempted to scramble away from him, but as she sat up, she let out a cry of pain and crumbled back down onto his bed. Adrien rested a hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey, don’t push yourself too hard, okay? You’re really hurt.” 

“But w-where…” Marinette’s gaze landed on his chest, just realizing that he was wearing a familiar leather jacket and dark wash jeans. They were stained with blood. She flicked her gaze up to Adrien’s hair. One high-tech ear sat on his head, lopsided and sparking. 

“Y-you’re…” 

He nodded, dropping his chin. “Yes, I’m Chat Noir… I just… I couldn’t stand back and watch you fight for me and… well…” He rubbed the back of his head. “I don’t know how to say this without sounding creepy, but I fell in love with you. I couldn’t stand the idea that I would be forced to marry someone else when, well… you were the person I wanted to win.” 

Nino came around to Adrien’s side and put a hand on his shoulder. “I think you should explain what happened to her and then you can spill your heart, buddy.” 

Adrien nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.” He looked back at Marinette and smiled. “Everything’s going to be okay. You’re in my room. Nino and I were just patching you up after I got you out of the games.” 

Wincing, Marinette shifted into a sitting position and she looked around. “But… w-where’s Fox?” 

Adrien’s smile faded and he glanced at Nino. His friend was looking at him too. Sighing, Chat dropped his gaze to the floor. “He didn’t make it…”

Marinette whirled to face him. “What?”

“He’s gone, Ladybug…” Adrien flicked his gaze up to meet hers. “The Game Master found us and turned Nathanael against us. I don’t know how he did it, but… I had to fight him.” Marinette turned to face him completely as he continued. “You were out cold, dying on the floor, and I just… I couldn’t do anything else. I fought him. I was able to bring him around for a few minutes and in that time… he…” Adrien bit his lip, trying to hold back his tears. “I… I was horrible to him… In the arena, we were always fighting and I just… I feel so bad now that he’s… he’s…” 

Marinette moved forward off the bed and dropped to her knees. Adrien was confused, but she threw her arms around him. She squeezed him in a tight hug, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” 

Adrien blinked, but his expression softened and he melted into the hug. Her wrapped his arms around her and the two shared a teary embrace. Adrien lifted his hand and ran his fingers through her short hair. He started to cry. 

Click. 

He looked up through his blurry vision to see Nino snapping a picture of their hug on his phone. His friend spread his hands. 

“What? It was a cute moment, okay? Besides, we don’t have a lot of time to be all lovey-dovey.” 

Adrien rolled his eyes, then pulled away just enough to look into Marinette’s eyes. “I have to admit, Nino’s right about one thing; we don’t have time to spare. We need to get you to a doctor.” 

She nodded, then dropped her head onto his shoulder for support. It appeared as though she was having a seriously hard time trying to process what was going on. Adrien wrapped an arm around her then looked up at Nino. 

“How much has happened since I left?” he inquired. 

His friend rubbed the back of his head. “Well… to be honest, bro, I’m not sure you’re going to like it.” Adrien waited, staring at his friend until he continued. Nino sighed. “They announced the winner of the Miraculous Games.” 

Both Adrien and Marinette froze. They glanced at each other, then turned their shocked gazes to Nino. 

“What…?” Ladybug asked. 

“I’m with her on this one,” Adrien admitted, completely dumbfounded. “How is that even possible? We were the last ones in the arena after Fox and I took out Panther.” 

Nino shook his head sadly. “There was one Charm left when the connection came back on. It was Queen Bee, Chloe.” 

Marinette’s fists clenched Adrien’s leather jacket. He looked down at her only to find her glaring at the floor. 

“That demonic p-pest…” she muttered. “She d-didn’t even fight.”

“I think we can deal with that later,” Adrien stated, trying to sort out their priorities. “What about the Game Master? Has there been any news about him?” 

Nino shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard.” 

“What about the P-President?” Marinette inquired. “If he figures out that w-we escaped, he’ll send the G-Game Master after us.”

“We need somewhere to hide,” Adrien agreed. 

“But where?” Nino asked. “Bro, the entire country is still on the lookout for you. It’s not like you can stroll out in public like it’s no big deal, man.” 

Marinette furrowed her brow. “Then we need some help too…” 

Nino smirked and folded his arms. “I think I already got that covered.” 

Adrien looked up at him. “What do you mean?” 

His friend smiled and leaned against Adrien’s bedside table. “When I figured out that you were Chat Noir, I made an immediate phone call. I figured that since you were trying to protect Marinette, she was hurt somehow, and if things went really far south, I wanted to contact someone for help.” He reached into his pocket and brought out his cellphone. He held it up proudly. “I called Marinette’s parents. They should be on their way, along with one of her friends.” 

“Alya,” Marinette immediately said. 

Nino shot her a finger gun. “Got that right, dudette. They should be here in a few hours.” 

“But we’re going to need more help than that,” Ladybug insisted. 

“Who else out there would be willing to help us?” Nino asked. 

Adrien snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it. Marinette,” he looked at her, “I’m going to take us to the training center for the Charms. Nino,” he turned his attention to his friend, “I need you to stay here and make this room look like, well, like someone murdered me.” 

His friend raised an eyebrow. “You want  _ what? _ ” 

“Make his room look like a crime scene.” Marinette pointed to the bloody towels. “Use those to your advantage and the knife. It should be enough to convince the President and the media that Adrien’s dead. Then, not so many eyes will be on the lookout for him.” 

Nino shrugged as if the whole explanation had just gone over his head. “I dunno what the heck that will do to help us, but whatever, dudette.”

Adrien carefully helped Marinette to her feet. “Do you think you’ll be okay if I carried you?” 

She smiled then kissed his cheek. “Only if you don’t do anything reckless.” 

His cheeks flushed a bright pink. For a moment, he wished he had his mask on to hide the blushing, but when he saw that her cheeks were touched with pink, he couldn’t help but smile. 

They had survived. Now, they needed to conquer.


	30. Chapter Thirty:

##  **Chapter Thirty:**

 

The color scheme was darker than normal, the screen behind the Miraculous Games hosts having been dimmed and saturated in it’s color. Alec had a box of tissues in front of him while Nadja had a single one in her hand. The usually clear table was now littered with used tissues - most of them on Alec’s side. 

“Hello, viewers,” Nadja greeted, her tone grim. “We have some bad news to tell you.” 

Alec burst into tears. He started to sob into a tissue as he threw himself across the table. 

“He’s dead!” he shouted through the salty tears. “Adrien Agreste is dead!” 

Nadja patted his back. “It’ll be okay, Alec. We just have to stay strong.” Even as she said this, a tear traced her cheek and she lowered her gaze. She turned to the camera, but didn’t look at the lens. “We give our deepest condolences to President Gabriel Agreste and apologize for his loss.” 

She turned back to Alec, continuing to rub his back as she told the news story.

“Adrien Agreste’s room was found destroyed and covered in blood this morning by one of Gabriel’s servants, Nino Lahiffe. The police were directly notified and it has been confirmed that it was, indeed, Adrien’s blood. The body is still missing, but the police are almost positive, by the amount of blood that was soaked into white towels, that there may not be a whole body left.”

Alec wailed. Nadja bit her lip to stop it from trembling and she finally looked up into the camera. Her eyes watered, threatening to spill over her perfect lashes. 

“In the light of the situation, it has been decreed by President Agreste himself that he will be personally training Queen Bee, winner of the Miraculous Games, to be the new leader of our country. We, at the Miraculous Games, fully support this decision and look forward to the new announcements of Chloe Bourgeois’s leadership.”

*** * ***

Adrien stumbled across the rooftop, causing Marinette to wince and grip his neck tighter.

“You could at least be careful,” she scolded.

He chuckled and helped her down. “I can only try my best, My Lady.” He willed his staff to close, and after a lot of sparking and creaking, it did as it was told. Adrien gazed at it sadly for a few minutes before sighing and tucking it across his back. “Come on, we need to get inside before we’re spotted. Black tends to stick out like a sore thumb against white marble in the middle of the day.” 

“I’m not complaining,” Marinette muttered. Adrien gave her a Chat worthy mischievous smirk, then waved her forward. 

“The trap door should be this way. You’d be surprised how much I know about these buildings.” 

“I’ve learned not to be surprised by what you bring to the table.” Ladybug turned around and winked at him. She then bent down and, with the help of Adrien, yanked open. 

“Do you want me to go first?” Adrien asked. 

She climbed in first, giving him a raised eyebrow. “I appreciate the concern, but I can handle myself most of the time.” 

He spread his hands. “I only ask because you’ve been stabbed in the back, burned from head to toe pretty much, and-”

“Oh, shut up, Kitty, and get down here before you’re seen.” 

Adrien broke into a wide grin. He would take that as a win. The two of them made their way down the ladder and stopped at the bottom. It reminded Adrien too much of the arena and he couldn’t help but be on high alert. He took a step forward, only to have his foot land in a bucket of water. He cringed and lifted his foot. 

“What the-?”

“It’s a mop bucket, Adrien,” Marinette giggled. 

The pair was in a janitorial closet. Shelves of cleaning supplies were on their left and right while a door stood ahead of them. Adrien shook his boot, the water seeping in through the cloth and soaking his sock. 

“You could have warned me,” he said. 

Ladybug shrugged. “It was more fun to see if you would notice it or not. Apparently, you didn’t.” 

He gave her the stink eye. She only flashed him a smile and spread her hands. He rolled his eyes and grabbed the door handle. 

“It would help if you could take this seriously.”

She sighed and dropped her hands. “Sorry, I’m just a little nervous. What if we’re caught?” 

“We won’t be.” Adrien opened the door slightly. He peered through the crack, attempting to get a good view of the hallway. “We’re on the top floor, and if I’m right, that was the floor you stayed on.”

Marinette blinked. “How did you know that?” 

He swiveled his head around to look at her and smiled. “I met you here, remember?”

Her cheeks flushed pink. She looked away and rubbed the back of her neck. “O-oh, yeah… I keep forgetting that you’re Chat and Chat is you.” 

Adrien only chuckled at her response and looked back outside. “The coast appears clear. Come on.” He opened the door wider and waved her forward. The two of them peeked out from around the corner and scanned their surroundings. Adrien had been right, the hallway was clear. 

Adrien stepped out first, looking up and down the passageway. “Do you recognize this part of the building?” 

Ladybug nodded. “Yeah, this is the hallway that leads to the elevator. My and Nathanael’s rooms were that way.” She pointed to the left. 

“Alright, that’s where we should go first.” 

The two of them snuck their way around the corner to find that they had walked into the main room. The kitchen was to their right and the dining room was on their left. Adrien stood up straight as he waltzed into the living room. Ahead, there was a staircase that split at the top, no doubt going to the charm’s bedrooms. 

“Huh, I never got to see this part of the planning. It’s nice, I like the layout,” he commented, turning around in a circle to get the 360-view. 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Adrien, we don’t have time for this. We have to-” 

“Bonjour, Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

Adrien and Marinette flew backward in surprise, spinning to see who had spoken. Sitting on the couch like he had been there the whole time was Master Fu. His eyes crinkled around the edges, no doubt from the smile he was giving the pair. 

“M-Master Fu,” Marinette stuttered in surprise. “What are you doing here?” 

“I came to congratulate you both for winning the games.” 

Adrien and Marinette exchanged confused glances. 

“Um, we didn’t win, sir,” Adrien said. 

Master Fu raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And who said that?” 

“Uh…” Adrien looked at Marinette as if to say ‘is this guy crazy?’ She only responded with a one-shouldered shrug.

“I know what you two seek,” Master Fu said mystically, “and I can tell you that it won’t be easy. You have much you need to accomplish before you walk away from this.”

Marinette opened her mouth to say something, but before she could say a word, there was a small gasp to their right. 

CRASH!

Chat and Ladybug spun toward where the noise had come from. At the top of the stairs, Rose stood there with a broken glass at her feet. She stared at the two ex-Charms, then broke into the biggest grin both Marinette and Adrien had ever seen.

“You’re alive!” she cheered. 

She ran down the stairs as fast as she could then threw her arms around Marinette. Ladybug verbally cried out and crumpled into Rose’s deadly hug. 

“I can’t believe it! You survived! Everyone’s gonna be so happy that you’re okay! How did you get out of the arena? How did you get here without setting off the new arrival alarms? And how did you find Adrien- wait! He’s alive?!”

Adrien stepped forward and pulled Rose off of her. “Rose,” he scolded, “you need to be careful. She’s badly hurt.” 

The pixie blonde gasped. “Oh no! We have to get her to the infirmary!” 

“Rose,” someone called, “what’s all the racket for?” 

Everyone turned their attention to the top of the stairs. Standing and staring in shock, Juleka covered her mouth. “Ladybug, you’re… you’re alive?” 

“Isn’t it great?!” Rose squealed. 

“She needs help,” Adrien insisted, helping Marinette straighten and regain her composure. “She was impaled in the back by a knife, and I was only able to patch it up enough to get us here.” 

Juleka nodded, her expression determined. “Rose, contact the others and tell them the news. I’ll help Adrien escort Ladybug.” 

Rose gave her friend a single nod, then took off. She disappeared around the hallway corner. Juleka came down the stairs, nodded to Master Fu as if to acknowledge his existence, then wrapped Marinette’s arm across her shoulders. She gave Adrien a soft smile. 

“Don’t worry, she’ll be okay,” she assured.

He gratefully nodded. “Thank you, Juleka. I knew assigning you and Rose to Ladybug would make my life a whole lot easier. 

The purple haired girl smiled. “It was the least we could do, Adrien. I’m just glad things worked out between you two.” 

Adrien blushed, looking down at the floor. “I am too.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes and spread her hands. “Guys, I’m right here.” 

On the couch, Master Fu cracked an all-knowing smile. He watched the threesome leave the room before pulling his weak body up onto his feet. Leaning on his cane, he hobbled his way down the hallway. In his pocket, something vibrated, but he rested a hand on it to stop it from moving. 

“Not yet,” he whispered. “They haven’t figured it out yet.”


	31. Chapter Thirty-One:

##  **Chapter Thirty-One:**

 

Marinette winced and grit her teeth as the elevator came to a lurching stop. Adrien’s grip on her tightened and she couldn’t help but catch the worried look that was glanced her way. Juleka was helping her on the other side, the trio stepping out into the hallway. Behind them, Master Fu watched them with an air of… something. It was hard to place. It was either pride, disappointment, or a mix of both. 

She couldn’t believe any of this real. She was standing in Adrien’s arms with her designer on her right and her Miraculous Games trainer strolling behind her. None of it made any sense. She was still trying to put the pieces together that Chat equaled Adrien. 

Chat = Adrien. 

First off, how had she been so oblivious? She had literally stared at photos of Adrien for hours at a time, and yet, she couldn’t tell who he was because of a mask. That was plain depressing, right there. 

But why hadn’t Chat told her that he was Adrien, the boy she had been secretly in love with and the boy she had risked her life for? Was it because he wanted to make it a surprise? Or so he could hide in the arena? And, most importantly, did he actually like her, or was that just to please the public? 

Her head couldn’t keep up with all of the crazy thoughts. It started to pound painfully. Grimacing, Marinette closed her eyes and dipped her head. She would just have to accept it, Adrien had helped her survive the games. Ironically, she wasn’t surprised. Just mildly taken aback that he would do that for her. They had only talked for a maximum of ten minutes before she had been thrown into the arena. How did he know that he wanted to protect her? Had he randomly chosen? 

Her head pounded again. Reminding herself that she had to stop overthinking things, Marinette sighed and opened her eyes. They had walked down the hallway and were about to enter the main training room. Her heart rate picked up speed. 

Oh no. The other Charms. What would they say? What if they hated her? What if they started to attack her? She had already struggled with going down a ladder without hinting to Adrien that she was in severe pain. She knew that she couldn’t fight off any hostile Charms without blacking out. 

Adrien squeezed her shoulder and she turned to look up at him. He was smiling at her. 

“It’ll be okay,” he assured. “I won’t let any of them hurt you.” 

His words relaxed her. How did he know what she was thinking about? Had she made her concerns to obvious? 

Juleka gave Adrien all of Marinette’s weight and reached forward to take the door handle. Marinette held her breath. Juleka swung the door open and a rush of cold air blew over them. 

“Ladybug!” someone shouted. 

Marinette turned toward the voice only to see Rose jumping on her tiptoes in excitement. Everyone in the room turned. It was everyone Marinette had faced and more. Kim, Alix, Sabrina, and Max were sitting on the wrestling mat. It appeared as though Kim had been showing off his muscles before he had been rudely interrupted. Mylene and Ivan were close to them, their arms wrapped around each other like they had been enjoying some much-needed cuddle time. Lila and Felix were at the far end of the room, glaring at Marinette. It didn’t help that they were both holding throwing knives in their hands. Aurora, the evil ice queen herself, appeared to have been in the middle of a conversation when they had walked in. 

Marinette could feel every single eye zeroed in on her. She shuffled from foot to foot nervously before raising a hand. 

“H-hi?” 

“You didn’t win?” Lila asked, popping a hip and making sure her sarcasm was on point. “Funny, I thought after everyone you took down, you’d think that you would walk away with the prize.” 

“I’m not a prize,” Adrien mumbled. 

At his comment, Lila gasped as if she just noticed him standing there. “I’m so sorry, Adrien! I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings! I just meant-” 

“I know what you meant,” he snapped, “and I don’t want to hear any more about it. Besides, I’m still mad at you.” 

She blinked and put a hand over her heart. “W-what? What did I ever do to hurt you?” 

Adrien’s grip on Marinette tightened. He glared at Raven with such hatred, everyone in the room took a step backward. “Because you almost killed Marinette. That alone is enough to tick me off.” 

Lila couldn’t seem to comprehend his words. “B-b-but how did you-?” 

“I’m Chat Noir, you foul bird.” 

“Ha! Called it!” Kim shouted, then punched Alix’s arm. “I knew it from the very beginning!” 

“Actually,” Max corrected as he adjusted his glasses, “Sabrina was the one who first said that Chat looked like Adrien. If anything, she should have the credit.” 

Kim scoffed. “Well, I was the first one to make a bet on it, so ha! I win!” He turned and looked at Adrien with wide eyes. “So, how did you do it? How did you get Ladybug out of the Miraculous Games without being spotted?” 

“Yeah, and how did you fake your own death?” Ivan asked.

“You faked your death?” Mylene questioned like it was the first time she had heard the news.

From the back of the room, Felix huffed as he turned one of the throwing knives in his palm. “Where have you been, pup? Snogging in a snake hole?”

“Hey, she at least helped when  _ he _ arrived and attacked us, unlike you,” Ivan retorted.

“Children, please,” Master Fu stated and everyone shut their mouths. “I know you all have questions and concerns, but there is much that needs to be discussed later. At the time being, Ladybug needs to be escorted to the healing chamber. As for the rest of you, I would suggest you train.” 

The group of Charms grumbled, but complied with their trainer’s instructions, though many of their gazes lingered on the cat and bug as they made their way to the corner of the room. Master Fu lead the way. He didn’t seem bothered by the Charm’s stares, so Marinette decided that she shouldn’t be either. 

Adrien’s grip loosened on her shoulder. She hadn’t realized how tightly he had been holding it until that moment. 

“Are you okay?” she whispered. 

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m just…” After a glance back at the Charms and a heavy sigh, he said, “I just can’t believe that I could have been married to that girl.” 

Marinette tipped her head and rested it on his shoulder. “I wouldn’t have let her win, I hope you know that.” 

“I do. And don’t worry, it’s not you that I’m concerned about. It’s just… my father.” Adrien reached up and rubbed the side of his head, where his tech cat ears usually were. “If he finds out I’m still alive-” 

“Hey,” Marinette said, cutting him off. She rested a hand on his chest. “He doesn’t have to find out. When all of this is said and done, we can go back to my district. You could live with me. I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind if we had different bedrooms of course. You could help out in the bakery and go to school with me.” 

Adrien smiled, but it appeared sad. “I would love to do that, Marinette, but I don’t think it would be a possibility. I can’t just run away when the country is going to be run by Chloe.” His smile turned sour and he scrunched his nose up in disgust. “I can’t imagine what the world would be like if she were making all of the rules. She’d probably make her sickly sweet perfume mandatory for everyone to wear.” 

Marinette laughed. However, on the inside, his words weighed her down. Even if they managed to escape the Capital, nothing would ever be the same. Plus, she found it ironic that, if she returned, she would come back with a different boy than the one she left with. Huh. Karma was weird. 

Master Fu stopped at the Infirmary door and opened it with a swipe of his hand. The threesome stepped inside. Marinette furrowed her eyebrows as she looked around. It appeared as though the place had been used fairly recently. Bloody gauze was piled up in a garbage can, a needle and thread were laying on a silver rolling table, and- 

Marinette stopped in her tracks. There were two healing chamber pods, and one was already in use. The fiery red hair gave away the person’s identity instantly. 

“Nathanael,” Ladybug breathed. 

Master Fu smirked as he glanced at Fox’s pod. “Yes, he was transported here not too long ago. He was in horrible condition when he first arrived, but after some strangling and a small fight, he was subdued.” 

Marinette turned to look at him. “What? Why did he put up a fight?” 

“He was still under  _ his _ control, wasn’t he?” Adrien said, his tone cold. 

Master Fu nodded, easing himself down into a cushioned seat. “Yes, indeed. The poor Charm was in terrible shape, but after some expert medical work and some healing chants, I was able to get him into a healing pod.” Their trainer shook his head, staring at his cane sadly. “Fox has been through a lot. The only thing we can hope for now is that the spell will be broken by the time the pod turns off.” 

“How long has he been in there?” Marinette asked, taking a few unsteady steps toward the pod. 

“Not much longer than four hours, I would say.” 

Adrien glanced at the red-head. “How long does the pod stay on for?” 

“For as long it’s programmed to run for, however, by the end of a twenty-four hour period, it should turn itself off for an hour or so. Even machines need a break.” 

Marinette pressed a hand to the clear glass part of the pod. Fox looked as though he had gone through the underworld and had come out of it like a skeleton. His hair, though still full of color, was clumped on his forehead. His arms and legs seemed stick-like compared to her own. The hospital gown he wore was drowning him, obviously way too big for the skinny kid. Her poor partner had gone through something horrible, and she couldn’t help but feel like it was her fault. 

Adrien rested a hand on her shoulder. “He’ll be okay,” he assured. “He just needs time to heal.”

She nodded, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Adrien noticed this and wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug. Marinette rested her head on his chest as he held her close, being very cautious of her wound. After a couple minutes, Master Fu cleared his throat. The teenagers looked up at him.

“Ladybug, I think it’s time that you receive healing for yourself.” 

Marinette bit her lip but gave him a single nod. Adrien pulled away from her, but took her hand and followed her over to the Chinese man. It took a couple minutes for the old man to get the things they needed, but in no time at all, Marinette was stripped down into a hospital gown and ready to enter the healing chamber. 

As Master Fu was programming the pod, Adrien took Marinette’s arm. 

“Marinette,” he said quietly, “I need to do something.”

She turned to look at him, expecting him to say some sort of cheesy pun, but before she knew it, she was being pulled into a soft kiss. She was taken aback - this was NOT a cheesy pun - but she eventually melted into it, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

Ugh, he had such soft lips. And he was so gentle with his hands. He cradled her as if she were a heavenly angel. She could get used to this. 

She didn’t know how long they had kissed for, but long it was enough for her to lose touch with reality.

Someone cleared their throat. The sudden sound broke the two lovers apart. As if on instinct, they took a step apart from one another and glanced at the old Chinese man - who had been the one who had requested their attention. Marinette’s cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. No doubt Adrien’s were just the same. 

“The chamber is ready,” Master Fu said with an all-knowing smile. “I suggest you save it for a much more appropriate time.”

Ladybug and Chat nodded. They glanced at each other, Adrien rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. 

“I, uh… I guess I’ll see you when you get out of the pod then,” he said. 

Marinette nodded, her face still warm as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Y-yeah, I guess so.” 

She stepped inside the pod, laid down on the reclined bed, then glanced back at Adrien. His green eyes smiled at her. She smiled in return. 

“Keep out of trouble, alright?” 

Adrien gave her a Chat-like grin. “You know I can’t promise that, My Lady.” 

Satisfied with his answer, Marinette rested her head against the armrest and closed her eyes. The pod’s sliding door sealed shut. Even as funny smelling smoke enveloped her, she could still feel the kiss tingling on her lips. The last thing she remembered thinking about was Adrien’s arms around her waist. 

Then, everything went black. 


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two:

##  **Chapter Thirty-Two:**

 

Mist flooded over Marinette inside of the healing chamber. Adrien rushed forward and put a hand on the glass. He watched as her body relaxed, free from any pain that she had been experiencing. Adrien rested his forehead against the glass and closed his eyes. He could feel his heart climb up in his throat. 

“I believe in you, My Lady… I’ll take care of things while you’re gone. I promise.” 

“That is very noble of you,” Master Fu said, coming up behind the boy. Adrien glanced at the trainer, only to see that his eyes were focused on the pod. “Ladybug is a strong Charm, stronger than most. You needn’t worry about her.” 

Adrien nodded. He tried to swallow the emotional lump that had gotten stuck in his throat as he pulled away from the pod. He glanced at Nathanael’s pod, then back to Marinette’s. Together till the very end, apparently. 

“Sir,” Adrien began. “I was wondering if-”

“Where is she? Where’s Marinette?” 

Master Fu and Adrien turned to find a girl walking into the room. Adrien didn’t recognize her in the slightest. She wore a plaid shirt with a white under top and light blue pants to match. Her brown-to-red ombre hair curled over her shoulders, pulled back just enough on her forehead to reveal a beauty mark. She stopped in front of Adrien and Master Fu, her hip popped and glasses perched crookedly on her nose. 

“Well?” she asked, glaring at Adrien as if he were the answer to all of her problems. 

“I-uh…” Adrien couldn’t form any coherent words under the girl’s scary gaze, so he merely pointed to the pod. The sassy girl turned her attention to it. Once her gaze fell upon Marinette, her shoulders drooped and she let out a sigh. 

“Good, I’m glad she’s in healing. I was afraid she was already thrown into a casket.” 

“Don’t worry so much, dudette,” said a familiar voice. “You’ll give yourself acne.”

Adrien cringed. Only one person he knew would come up with something like that. He glanced over the girl’s shoulder and smiled as Nino waltzed up, putting an arm around the new girl’s shoulders, holding a jacket in that hand. 

“Nice to see you, man,” Adrien said and held up a fist. Nino smiled. 

“You too, bro.” They fist bumped. Nino gestured at the jacket. “And, hey, I figured you would need this. It seemed a little too important to keep at the ‘crime scene’.” He made air quotes with his fingers. Adrien chuckled and took the jacket from him. 

“Thanks, Nino.” 

Master Fu bowed to the two arrivals. “It is a pleasure to meet you both. May I learn your names so we may become acquainted?” 

The girl smiled and held out a hand. “Alya Cesaire.”

The trainer dipped his head as he took her outstretched hand. “I am Master Fu, trainer for the Charms.”

“Sweet, dude. Sounds like it’s a crazy job.” Nino shook hands with the old man. “Name’s Nino Lahffie. I’m this dude’s number one bro.” He elbowed Adrien playfully and the two shared a smile. 

“Have you two come alone?” Master Fu questioned. 

Alya shook her head. “No. Marinette’s parents are here, but they’re just talking to the other Charms out there.” She jabbed a thumb toward the door, referring to the training room. 

“Ah, I see. Would you be so kind to go and fetch them? I would like to discuss something with them.” He glanced at Adrien, but just long enough for it to be suspicious. Nino and Alya nodded, then left the room. Before he left, however, Nino shot one last look back at Adrien as if to ask, ‘you need anything?”. His friend shook his head and waved him on. Nino took the hint and left. 

“Adrien,” Master Fu said softly, “when I have finished discussing Marinette’s well-being with her guardians, would you mind if we talked privately?” 

Adrien blinked, surprised at the old man’s question, then nodded. “Yes, sir. Of course.”

Master Fu smiled and bowed his head. “Wonderful.” 

Before the two of them could continue their conversation, they were interrupted by four people entering the room. Two were Alya and Nino, but the older ones Adrien assumed to be Marinette’s parents. They seemed a lot kinder than Adrien had been anticipating. Then again, creating a wonderful daughter like Marinette must have taken some talented parenting. Adrien respected them almost instantly. 

Marinette’s mother was much smaller than he was, maybe three inches shorter. She had the same black hair and eye shape as Marinette but had a rounder face than her daughter. She wore a white Chinese-style dress with red and yellow accents. She smiled at Adrien as if she were gazing at her own son. 

“So you must be Adrien,” she said sweetly. “We’ve been hearing so much about you.” 

Adrien hunched his shoulders and awkwardly shoved his hands into his pockets. “Oh, uh… thanks, I guess.” 

She held out a delicate hand. “My name is Sabine, and this is my husband, Tom.” 

The man she gestured to was much taller than Adrien. He was a sturdy built man with wide shoulders, thick legs, and big feet. He wore a blue collared shirt and simple brown pants. Down the sides of his face, his jawline was covered by muttonchops. He smiled at Adrien, his top lip covered by a thick mustache, and extended a hand to shake. 

“A pleasure to meet you, young man,” he greeted. The two shook hands, and Adrien was taken off guard by how big Tom’s hands were. He could crush him like a bug if Adrien stepped out of line.

Master Fu stepped forward and introduced himself in a similar way he did to Alya and Nino. The group of grown ups then changed the topic to Marinette’s well-being. As they did so, Adrien zoned out and turned his attention to the pod they were looking into.

Marinette’s body didn’t appear to have changed that much, but Adrien did notice that she was paler. He wondered if that was a normal thing of if it was something he should be concerned about. He didn’t realize it at first, but the more he stared, the more he felt like something was missing. It was like a piece of his gut was missing. Though he could still function, something seemed off. Could it have been Marinette’s presence? 

“Dude, are you okay?” Nino asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

Adrien jumped, surprised by his friend’s sudden appearance, then relaxed and sighed. “I… I don’t know yet.” 

Nino didn’t say anything in reply. He only patted his shoulder supportively. On the other side of Adrien, Alya came up and put a hand on her hip. 

“So, you got a thing for my best friend, huh?” 

Adrien’s face flushed pink. “Well, I, uh…” 

“You do know that Chat is in love with her too, right?”

“Well, actually-”

“ _ And _ Nathanael? Are you sure you want to play this game?”

“Alya,” Nino urged, “he’s trying to answer your questions.” 

“Thanks man, but I think I’ve got this.” Adrien looked at her and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Well, it kinda turns out that there never was a ‘Chat’ in the first place.” 

Alya raised her perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Oh?” 

He nodded and gestured to his jacket. “I was Chat the whole time.” 

She broke into a heart-smashing grin. “Ha! I knew it! Nobody in my class believed me when I said that you and Chat looked familiar. You know, with the green eyes and blonde hair ‘n all.” 

“Oh, so you figured out his identity before I did?” Nino sassed. “I’m his best friend, dudette.”

Alya laughed, and Adrien noticed a change of expression on Nino’s face. He knew exactly what it was right away. His best friend was totally falling for this girl. How did he know? Adrien had a feeling he had that exact same look when he saw Marinette for the first time. 

“I’m almost positive I found out before you. I’m the head journalist on my school newspaper staff and I have proof that I came up with all kinds of theories. I can show you!” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The two of them focused on the phone, getting into their own conversation. Adrien decided that he should probably leave them to it. He didn’t want to get in the way of their bonding. He had experienced what that had been like and he didn’t want to be that burden for someone else. 

It was then that he decided to look more closely at the jacket Nino had given him. He didn’t realize at first, but it was Marinette’s. Her blood stains were still splattered across it, one big hole ripped in the center of the back. Why had Nino insisted on bringing this to him? Did he want Adrien to keep it for a keepsake or something? 

For the first time, Adrien flipped the jacket around and looked at the inside of it. He was expecting to see normal cloth, but it wasn’t just that. All of the pins that they had stolen from the arena were pinned to the inside of her jacket. Eagle, Hummingbird, Wolf, every single one was accounted for. And, to finish it off, a circle Ladybug pin was clipped to the zipper. 

Adrien smiled to himself but broke out of his trance when someone called his name.

“Adrien?” 

He looked up. Master Fu gestured for him to come over to where the adults had been talking. He drifted over, unsure what was going on. Tom and Sabine were looking at him expectantly as if they wanted him to do a backflip or something. 

“We want to thank you,” Sabine said. 

“For what?” he asked, genuinely confused. 

“You saved our daughter and protected her from the danger we couldn’t.” 

Adrien blushed. “Oh, really, it wasn’t too hard. I just looked after her that’s all and-” 

“No, son,” Tom interrupted. “You taught her something that neither of us could: you taught her about loyalty. You took her under your wing and stayed loyal to her through the entire games.” 

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. “Thank you, sir, but I honestly believe that she was the one who taught me the more important lesson.” 

Sabine tilted her head. “And that is that?” 

“She taught me what love feels like…” He lowered his head and dropped his hand. “I’ve had a hard upbringing and I think that Marinette was placed in my life for a reason. She taught me what love can do and what it can give to others; hope, charity, courage, bravery…” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I wouldn’t have discovered that on my own.”

Tom clapped him on the shoulder. “Son, if you ever need to get away from the Capital, feel free to come to our district. We will gladly give you a place to stay.” 

“Besides,” Sabine chuckled, “I have a feeling Marinette wouldn’t protest in you coming to visit.” 

Adrien smiled. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes and he attempted to wipe them away. “I… I don’t know what to say, thank you.” 

Sabine pulled him into a hug and ran a hand across his back. Tom joined the hug, squeezing the three of them tightly. 

Master Fu watched all of this from the sidelines. Adrien noticed this and found it kinda odd to see the old man smiling at them. Had he wanted this to happen? 

“Adrien,” he stated, “it’s time to talk.” 

He nodded, pulling away from Tom and Sabine. The two parents smiled at him and something tugged at Adrien deep down in his heart. What was this feeling? It took him a minute, but he was able to connect the dots. They were proud of him. They looked at him as if he were their own son, not just some boy who had fallen in love with their daughter. It was as if they had already accepted him into their family. 

And that, for some reason, made Adrien want to cry. 

With great difficulty, he turned away from them and followed Master Fu out of the infirmary. They walked out into the training room and skirted around the far edges of the room along the wall. As they walked, Adrien couldn’t help but feel like he was about to walk into the principal’s office. What did Master Fu want to talk to him about? Was he in trouble? Had he done something wrong?

They came to the storage corner where they kept all of the spare weapons and supplies. Master Fu strolled up to a stack of boxes, then sat down on one carefully. Leaning on his cane, he looked at Adrien. He wasn’t sure what the look meant, but Adrien was sure that Master Fu wanted to know something. 

“Adrien, what made you want to take on the identity of Chat Noir?” 

He blinked. “What, sir?” 

“Why did you involve yourself with the Charms?” Master Fu clarified. “What was the deciding choice that pushed you to put on that cat costume and dive head-first into the arena?” 

Adrien chewed on his bottom lip. That was a good question. Why did he risk his life in the arena?

“Well,” he started, his voice wavering slightly, “I guess I felt like my mom would have supported me if she were here. I had this strong feeling that I needed to jump into the arena and save the person that I… I dunno. I felt the closest to, maybe. Marinette was the person that caught my eye. She was so confident and put together and just… real. She was the most real out of everyone there. Not saying that the other Charms were bad or anything, but I felt like…” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I felt like out of all the Charms, my mom would have loved her.” 

“What happened to your mother?” Master Fu asked carefully. 

“She disappeared a year or two ago,” Adrien said, tracing a finger across one of the spears that hung on the training racks. “I remember clear as day the front door, how it was barely open and the chilly air blowing inside. Nor can I ever forget the first time I found this on my side table.” He pulled out his staff. He ran his hand over it, especially over the inscription that his mother had left on it. It was scratched up, but he could still read it just fine. 

“After meeting Marinette’s parents and… and feeling the love they have for me…” His eyes watered and he tightened his grip on the baton. “It just makes me want to have my mom back. I want her to come home and to hold me again like she used to when I was sick. I want her to sit at the piano and teach me how to play, not some stupid tutor. I want to have dinner with her, to laugh and joke about things that happened that day just to annoy my father.” He squeezed his eyes shut. Tears streamed down his face, but he hastily tried to wipe them away. “I-I’m sorry, I’ll keep it together.” 

Master Fu rested a hand on his shoulder. “The strong do not hold in their emotion. They let it flow like the water in a brook. Do not be ashamed in your sadness, it is your strength.” 

Adrien nodded, this time ignoring the tears that traced his cheeks. “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you, sir.”  

Master Fu gave him a small smile, then leaned back against the boxes. “Another reason why I wanted to talk with you alone is because you deserve to hear the news about the winning Charm, Queen Bee.” 

Adrien folded his arms. “Okay?” 

The old man paused as if he were choosing his words carefully. “There will be a ball in five days time. At this ball, your father, President Agreste, will announce Queen Bee as the winner of the Miraculous Games and as the next leader of this country.” 

“Wait, we only have five days? I thought it was usually weeks after the Games ended.” 

Master Fu shook his head. “It appears as though your father wishes to fill your position and get the Miraculous Games over with.” 

Adrien scowled and turned over his shoulder. “Typical, my father doesn’t even care that I’m gone. Whoop-dee-do.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Adrien,” he warned. “Perhaps it is his way of coping with the loss.” 

“By replacing me as quickly as possible? I don’t believe it.” He turned his back to the old man. “I need to go talk to my friends about this. If we’re going to take this place down, we need to get a plan organized.” 

He started to walk away, but the old man called out, “Oh, and about your mother.” 

Adrien looked back just in time to watch Master Fu pull out a thin black box. He held it out in his palm like he expected Adrien to take it. Chat furrowed his eyebrows, confused at what he was looking at. 

“What is that?” 

Master Fu smirked as if he were about to tell Adrien a juicy rumor. He reached up into his ear and took out a small nude earpiece. He placed this alongside the box.

“Would you like to talk to her?” 


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three:

##  **Chapter Thirty-Three:**

 

BANG! 

“Stupid, stupid boy…” the Game Master muttered. His tightly clenched fists punched the console again. BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Why couldn’t he just listen to me?” he shouted. “Why did he have to step out of line? Why couldn’t he just accept the consequences  _ like I did?!” _

BANG! 

The Game Master hunched over the controls, his hands trembling. His knuckles were white and his forehead beaded with sweat. In one swift movement, the Game Master gripped his silver mask and ripped it off. He tossed it across the controls. It skittered for a few moments, then stopped at the far end of the hologram table. 

“Why?” he asked, his voice cracking with emotion. “Why…?”

Gabriel Agreste fell to his knees. With a heavy heart, he began to cry. Thankful that he didn’t have his glasses, he covered his face with his hands and wept. 

Why did his son have to be so much like his mother? Why? Why did he take after her? Every day he laid eyes on his son, Gabriel only saw her. The confident green eyes, the soft blonde hair, the slight temper… Why was Adrien so much like his mother? 

A memory surfaced in the Game Master’s mind. One from a very, very long time ago. 

He remembered the sounds of screaming. Through his tears, he could see the desert sand whipping up around him. Someone stood directly behind him. Their backs were firmly pressed together, ready for a fight. 

_ “There’s no way out of here,” _ he had said.

Through the dust, he could only make out the bright blue and green jacket whipping around his left side. 

_ “Yes, there is. We need to fight back.”  _

_ “Fight back? I… I don’t think that would be the smartest idea.” _

_ “Does it matter? We might as well go down in a fight.”  _

He remembered the split second decision. The decision that would change his entire life; a choice that still affected him to this day. He turned around, pulled the girl’s shoulders to face him, and kissed her. She had been shocked at first, but eventually, she had melted into it. Her blonde curls swirled in the dust, brushing his face like a butterfly’s wing. He pulled the girl close, not want to let her slip out of his grasp until she truly understood what she meant to him. 

They pulled away just enough to gaze into each other’s eyes. Gabriel could still see her bright green orbs staring back at him behind a blue and turquoise mask. 

_ “I’ll fight, for you,”  _ he had firmly stated. All she had done in return was smiled. 

Gabriel gasped and pulled himself back into the present. He could feel the once warm tears that had streaked his cheeks now turning ice cold. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his jaw and lifted his head. He wouldn’t let it happen again. He had been wrong all of those years ago. It was time to fix the mistake. 

His son may not have been alive, but that didn’t matter. The Game Master was getting revenge. 

“Ladybug,” he snarled under his breath, “you murdered my son… you ruined my son and killed him… But I’ll get you… I’ll kill you!” He pounded his fist on the catwalk. “And, because of you, I’ll have her back!” 

He turned his attention toward the ceiling. His face morphed into one as savage as a hungry lion. “Do you hear me? I’ll kill you if it’s the last thing I do! I’ll see that you are thrown off the tallest rooftop in the Capitol. I’ll throw you into the ocean with anchors tied to your waist. I’ll stab you if I have to!” He got to his feet, stomped over to his mask, and slipped it over his eyes. 

He glared down at the hologram table and pulled up a map of the Capitol. “I’ll massacre an entire city to find you…” His eyes flashed with brutal murder. “And when I do, I will rip you apart piece by piece.” His voice lowered until it wasn’t even audible. 

“ _ No one will escape my wrath. _ ” 

*** * ***

Adrien stared in shock at the black box in Master Fu’s open palm. 

“You… you mean she’s alive?” 

The old man didn’t say anything, only lowered his chin and looked at Adrien expectantly. Chat reached out his hand and took the box. His hands trembled, though with excitement, disbelief, or terror, he didn’t know. He had lost all hope when it came to his mom, and now that she was literally in the palm of his hand… 

“I can’t.” 

“Yes, you can,” Master Fu urged. “She has been keeping watch over you, pulling you out of trouble when you couldn’t.” 

“But I… I can’t just… She left us. My father and I… we…”

Master Fu put a hand on Adrien’s, closing the young man’s fingers around the box. “She’s been pleading with me to just have a small word with you. She overheard how much you missed her. Please, Adrien, talk to her.” 

Adrien looked down at the box that his fingers were curled around. Part of him wanted to scream and run, but the other part wanted so desperately to spill everything that had happened in his life after his mom left. 

He sighed, dipping his head in submission. “Okay. I’ll talk to her.” 

Master Fu nodded. “Wonderful. I will be attending to the Charms’ training if you need me.” He got to his feet and walked away, his cane draped across his shoulder. 

Adrien turned his attention back to the device in his palm. Opening his hand, he picked up the nude earpiece and placed it in his ear. 

“H-hello?” 

“Oh, Adrien. I’m so glad you’re okay.” 

Adrien’s eyes began to tear up. He hadn’t heard her voice in more than a year. For weeks after her leaving, he had dreamed up all kinds of scenarios to why she had left him. One night, she had left for a secret mission for the government. The next, she had been kidnapped. A few nights after that, she had disappeared to the Caribbean islands because she hadn’t received the tan she wanted. 

“Mom,” Adrien said, his voice cracking, “why did you leave me…?” 

She was quiet for a long time. Adrien almost believed for a second that he had imagined her voice. 

“I didn’t want to, sweetheart, but I had a job to do.” 

“What kind of job?” 

He could almost see her smiling. “You’ll figure it all out very soon, honey, I’m sure of it.” 

Adrien chewed his lip and he looked down, trying to wipe the tears off of his cheeks. “Mom, why didn’t you come home? I was so worried… I… I thought you died…” 

“Oh, Adrien… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to have you worry about me. I just had something I needed to do and it has taken longer than I would have expected.” 

He nodded, though he realized after he had done it that he couldn’t see her. 

“By they way,” she said, her voice taking on a more playful tone. “You chose well.” 

Adrien’s face flushed pink. “O-oh… thanks, mom.” 

“I knew that staff would come in handy. I thought you would use it more than I would.” 

He chuckled. “Well, you kinda inspired me. I figured that if I was going to get the girl I wanted, I would have to take my destiny into my own hands.”

He heard his mom chuckle. “Your father would be so upset, you know that?” 

“I do, actually.” Adrien laughed quietly to himself. “Once he found out that I liked Ladybug more than any of the other charms, he was so mad.”

“Typical Gabriel,” his mom commented, and Adrien could imagine her rolling her eyes. 

“I still rebelled, though,” he assured. “I knew what I needed to do, no matter what anyone else told me. Besides, if you could do it, I figured I could as well.” 

His mom sighed. “As proud as I am of you, you need to know that you’ve gotten yourself deeper than I ever did. Adrien, the country believes you’re dead. You can’t keep hiding. Word will get out, and you can’t expect that everyone will be behind you.” 

Adrien hung his head. “I know…” 

“I’m glad you recognize that, sweetheart. Now, what’s your plan when it comes to the Charm Ball?” 

“I, uh… well, I figured that we could probably sneak our way inside the winner’s suite and kidnap Chloe or something. Then, when the ball came around, she wouldn’t be there.” 

“That’s smart, but I have a better idea.” The sound of something banging stopped her. When she came back on the line, she sounded rushed. Her tone turned much more stern. “Call me when you have a group together. We’ll discuss what we need to do then, okay?” 

Adrien’s heart lept. “Y-you’re going to hang up?” 

She chuckled. “I can’t stay on the line forever, sweetie. Don’t worry, though. I’ll be seeing you sometime very soon. Stay strong for me, pumpkin.” 

Adrien opened his mouth, choking on all of the words he wanted to say, but the next thing he knew, the call ended. He stood there in the corner of the training room, his knees weak and his body trembling. He extended a hand and rested his bodyweight on a stack of boxes. 

He had just a conversation with his mother. His  _ mother _ . 

Things were changing, and he couldn’t wait to see where it went. 


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four:

##  **Chapter Thirty-Four:**

 

It had been two days.

Nathanael had emerged from his pod. Though he had been weak at first, he was regaining his bearings slowly. When he had first stepped out of the pod, he was face to face with Adrien. The exchange was rather awkward between them at first, and it still hadn’t gone away. The fact that they had been in a fight to the death with one another was… difficult, to say the least. 

Adrien had been sitting in the infirmary, watching the vapor inside Marinette’s pod swirl around in circles, when Nathan’s pod popped open. It had startled the cat so much, he had fallen out of his chair. Nathanael had pulled himself out of the healing chamber, waving his hands in front of his face like he couldn’t breathe. When he finally looked around, both Adrien’s and Nathanael’s eyes locked. 

“Uh… hi?” Adrien said, attempting to be friendly.

Nathan sighed and leaned against the pod. He folded his arms. “Let me guess, you’re here to chew me out for trying to hurt you?” 

Adrien shook his head quickly and got to his feet. “No no, not at all. I’m here to just… well…” He turned his attention to Marinette’s pod. Nathan was confused at first, but once he followed Adrien’s gaze, his whole body stiffened. He stared at Marinette’s pale face and limp form. 

“D-did I do that to her?” 

Adrien rubbed the back of his head. “No, not really. Do you remember what happened?” 

“I…” Nathanael trailed off, then scratched his head. “I remember Marinette getting hurt and then us escaping into the Cataclysmacopia. Then…” He furrowed his eyebrows together and he dropped his hand. “Something happened. Something… bad.” 

“Do you want me to tell you?” Adrien asked. 

Nathanael shook his head, giving him the cold shoulder. “No, I’ll figure it out myself.”

From then on, the conversation between the two boys was either extremely awkward or it didn’t happen at all. Adrien could tell that Nathan didn’t want to say a word to him, but it wasn’t like he was looking for conversation. They may have made it out of the arena, but that didn’t mean that their tension had gone away. If anything, it had only increased. 

For the past two days, on top of the two boys dancing around each other’s presence, Master Fu had been pushing everyone to work harder in their training. Adrien, who had only been taught certain types of fighting movies, was seriously struggling. He almost regretting telling the old Chinese man that his mother had asked for a prepared team. They had woken up early a couple times in the row now, but after going through some rigorous training exercises, Adrien was ready to pass out. Running laps, throwing spears, wrestling, and lifting weights was not something he did on a daily basis. He respected all of the Charms and their scores even more now.

Adrien trudged into the top floor apartment after a long workout session, his head dripping with sweat. As he walked in, Juleka lifted her head up from the book she was reading - Your Design and How to Find It - and smirked. 

“Tough day?” she asked. 

Adrien scoffed and ran his fingers through his greasy hair. “What do you think?” 

“Well, I think you need a little pick me up!” 

Adrien jumped slightly as Rose popped up next to him, holding a tray of cookies in her arms. He smiled and was about to take one, but Juleka raised a finger. 

“Ah ah, mister. What’s the point of working out if you’re only fattening yourself up afterward.” 

In retaliation, Adrien picked up one of the cookies and shoved it in his mouth. Juleka only rolled her eyes in response while Rose giggled. He took a handful.

“I’ll cash ooo gas lada,” Adrien said, his voice muffled by the cookie. 

Juleka waved her hand and returned to her book. Rose wished him good luck then made her way back to the kitchen. Adrien walked upstairs only to be greeted by Nathan stepping out of his room. Both boys stopped. Adrien hadn’t seen him at training because Master Fu insisted that he rest up. To quote, he had said that,  _ “one must always be in full health when pushing themselves to the limit”.  _  Nathan glanced at the handful of cookies in Adrien’s hand. 

“Where did you get those?” 

“Uh, Ross gaf dem oo me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You know I made those, right?” 

Adrien blinked, feeling like he had crossed the line of some sort. He awkwardly held out the handful. “Wand on?”

Nathan rolled his eyes and pushed past him. He stole a cookie from his hand, though. Adrien watched Fox walk away, then decided it would be better if he just left him alone. Turning around, Adrien strolled into the room he had been using for the past little while: Marinette’s. 

It was interesting when he had stayed there the first night. He had made sure to keep to himself. He didn’t want Marinette getting mad at him because he had been sleeping in the bed she had before the Games. To make himself feel better, and to make sure Ladybug wouldn’t come after him with a grappling hook when she woke up, he had made a bed of blankets on the floor. He had laid them out next to the window. It was nice to look out over the Capital he had once been in charge of. Late at night, he would lay there, sleepily watching car lights travel slowly along the streets below. 

While he watched, he sometimes would imagine all kinds of funny scenarios. He imagined Marinette and him running across the skyscrapers, jumping from one to another. In his mind, he could see Marinette’s smiling face as she used the grappling gun to swing majestically between buildings. He would no doubt follow her lead, using his silver baton. Last night, he had an amazing dream about the two of them being superheroes. He hadn’t wanted to get out of bed to go work out.

Adrien opened the door to the bedroom and tossed the cookies onto the dresser by the door. He kicked off his tennis shoes and they hit the wall. After changing out of his workout clothes and into his normal attire, he glanced at himself in the mirror. He may have been bruised and gross, but he was okay with that. It was nice to finally be a slob without his father glaring him down. 

He walked over to the dresser, about to pick up a cookie, when the black box caught his attention. His hand faltered as he stared at the device. It was vibrating.

They hadn’t heard any word from his mother. He had tried to call her before he went to bed the night before but hadn’t received a response. She had been completely silent. 

But now… 

Adrien scooped it up, put in the nude earpiece, then pressed the button on the side. 

“Hello?” 

“Adrien,” his mother said. When she said his name, a feeling of relief rushed over him. She was okay. “Honey, I don’t have much time to talk. Do you have a group of people, like I told you?” 

“Yes,” he replied immediately. 

“Excellent. The Charm Ball is the day after tomorrow and we need to get everything ready.” 

“I have the team ready. Hang on, I’ll get Master Fu.” 

“No, Adrien. We don’t have time.” 

Adrien froze. “Wait, what?” 

“Adrien, listen to me. I have everything ready. I only have one job for you.” She paused and Adrien waited. He held his breath, his mind racing a thousand miles an hour. What did his mom want him to do? Blow up a building? Kill someone? Find her? 

“I need you to tell Master Fu that the packages are in the janitorial closet on the top floor as soon as you can. This is urgent. Nothing can come before this.” 

He blinked. “W-what?” 

“I have to go, honey. I promise I’ll call you back.” There was the sound of something insanely loud in the background of her call. “Adrien, before I go, I need you to promise that you will stay strong, okay?” 

“I…” He couldn’t spit it out, he was too busy trying to process her request.

“Pumpkin,  _ please _ .”

He took a deep breath. “Okay, I promise, mom.” 

“Thank you. Stay safe, baby. Love you.”

There was a click and the line went dead. Adrien lowered the box and placed it back on the table. It was warm to the touch. It must have been vibrating for a while. How long had she been trying to get ahold of him? 

Something was going on. Though he may have been in contact with his mom, that didn’t mean he understood it completely. What was happening on her end of the call? Why did she have to leave so quickly every single time? 

There was a knock on his bedroom door. Adrien glanced over just in time to see Rose pop her head in. She smiled. 

“Hi, Adrien! Sorry to bother you, but Master Fu is out here and wishes to speak to you.” 

Adrien stiffened. That had been fast. He gave Rose a swift nod. 

“Thank you. I’ll be right down.” 

She disappeared behind the door. Adrien stumbled back toward the bed and pressed a hand against his temple. What was going on? What was his mother planning? He had a feeling that Master Fu knew more than he let on. He had tricks up his Hawaiian shirt sleeves, and Adrien was going to find out what they were. Taking a deep breath, he stood up, ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair and got to his feet. Time to face the inevitable. He scooped up the cookies from off the dresser, stuffed one in his mouth, then walked out the door.

It didn’t take him long to get downstairs, and when he did, he immediately took notice to Nathanael. He was sitting on the couch next to- 

Wait a sec. 

Adrien stopped in his tracks, cookie crumbs dangling from his chin. The cookies in his hand slipped and cascaded down the last few steps. Why had he not taken a shower? He was a mess!

“Adrien,” Master Fu said.

The cat-like boy jumped at least a foot off the ground and spun toward the old man. It was like he had just appeared next to him from out of nowhere. 

“I see you’ve seen the great news,” he commented. 

Adrien turned back toward the couch. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until that moment. 

“Marinette,” he breathed. 

She turned to look at him. Her hair had grown a little longer, thanks to the healing pod, and her skin glowed with health. Her eyes, oh her eyes, had a shine in them like she had just witnessed a beautiful sunset. It had been so long since Adrien had seen her fully well. She had no fever, no burns, and no knife in her back. She no longer wore her arena clothes, which was kind of weird for Adrien, since that was all he had seen her in other than elegant dresses. She wore pink pants that cut off mid-calf, a white t-shirt, and a black jacket. It was almost like she had never gone into the arena at all. 

The biggest smile stretched across her face. “Adrien.” 

No more words needed to be said. Marinette launched herself off of the couch and Adrien rushed forward. The two of them threw their arms around each other. Adrien buried his face in Marinette’s hair. She was okay. They were going to be okay. 

“Can you quit it you two?” Nathan grumbled. “It’s not like we need anymore excessive PDA from you guys.” The pair leaned away just enough to send a disapproving look to him. Fox spread his hands. “What? I can’t be the only one thinking it.”

“I find it entertaining,” Master Fu admitted, leaning on his cane with a smug grin.

“It’s cute!” Rose commented, kicking her leg up and framing her face with her hands. 

Juleka shrugged. “Eh, it’s not a problem, really.”

Nathan rolled his eyes and go to his feet. “Well, I think it  _ is _ a problem. Why don’t you guys get a room instead?” 

The old man’s smile melted. “Nathanael,” he scolded, “don’t be rude.” 

“I’m just saying the truth,” Fox muttered, then lumbered out of the room. Everyone watched him climb the stairs and disappear into his room. 

Master Fu sighed. “Marinette, I think it’s time you talk to him. You’re the only one who can sort this out.” 

Marinette tightened her grip on Adrien, then nodded sadly. “Okay, I’ll talk to him a little later.” 

Talk. Yes, that reminded him. He opened his mouth to say something to Master Fu, but Marinette cut him off by asking the old man, “Do you, um… think that Adrien and I could talk? Alone?” 

He nodded. “Of course, Ladybug.” 

Adrien flinched, a sense of urgency rushing into his mind, but Master Fu had already gathered up Rose and Juleka. They were out the door before he could say a word. 

“Adrien,” Marinette started, pulling away from him and sitting on the couch, “I… I need to talk to you. I need to tell you some things…” 

That sent alarm bells ringing on top of the alarm bells. “Um, okay?” He sat down next to her and took her hand in his. She smiled sadly down at their intertwined hands before pulling hers away. 

“I realize that there is a lot going on right now and I don’t want to be a problem to you, but… I think you’ve sacrificed too much for me.” 

He blinked and tilted his head. “What do you mean?” 

“Well,” she nervously wrung her hands together, “you gave up everything for me; your family, your job, and you’ve risked your life one too many times. When I woke up from my pod, I realized that… maybe we’ve been walking too close to the edge.” 

Adrien leaned forward on his knees and stared at her. Was this really the same Marinette that almost killed a Charm for hurting her friends? 

“Marinette, we’re going to be okay. We aren’t alone in this anymore.” 

“I know, but…” She trailed off and took a deep breath before continuing. “I just don’t want to put anyone else in danger. Everyone I fought against, all the Charms that are here, they didn’t choose to be here. They were pulled into it without their consent, and I just… I can’t imagine putting them at risk. 

“I was awake most of the time in that sleep pod. I would sometimes see people come and go by my pod… I saw my parents. I saw my best friend. I saw everyone that I had loved all gathered around me and I felt…” She sighed and dipped her head. “I felt like I had been the one who had put them in danger. They were here because of me and my stupid actions. My parents, Alya, your friend Nino, Nathanael… I can’t hurt anyone else.” 

She glanced up to meet Adrien’s gaze. Her eyes were watering with tears. “Worst of all, I hurt you… I hurt the boy that I fell in love with. If that’s not painful, I don’t know what is.” 

Adrien couldn’t stand it anymore. He scooted across the couch and pulled Marinette into a tight hug. He pressed her close, resting his chin on the top of her head and running a hand down her back. “My Lady, you didn’t hurt me at all. You’re not hurting anyone. You chose to be here because if you weren’t, a little girl would be taking your place. You saved her, isn’t that enough?” He kissed the top of her head and pulled her away just enough to press his forehead against hers. “Ladybug, you’re my everything. If you hadn’t come into my life, I wouldn’t even be here.”

He lifted his hand and brushed her cheek. He could feel her wet tears smear across her cheek with his fingers. Tenderly, he leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him in return, and Adrien could feel more of her tears fall. He pulled away and ran his fingers through her hair. 

“Ladybug,” he said, his voice level. “You are the love of my life. I want you to etch this deep in your heart so you can never forget it: I will do anything for you. I willingly left my family because I knew I would find a stronger love in you.” He kissed her again, but this one was quick. He leaned away and breathed, “ I will jump in front of a bullet if it means that you live.” He opened his eyes and met her blue orbs. He held her gaze like it was the last thing he would ever see. “Don’t you  _ ever _ think that I would leave you. I won’t, not without a fight.” 

This time, it was Marinette’s turn to lean in and press her lips to his. The two kissed long enough for Adrien to lose track of time. 

And then, he realized his mistake. 

It was sudden, the way the mission smashed into his mind. It caused his whole body to jerk and pull away from Marinette. His eyes were wide. 

“Where’s Master Fu?” 

Marinette blinked, her expression revealing how completely lost she was. “W-what are you talking about?” 

“I need to talk to him!” Adrien scrambled to his feet. “I was supposed to tell him what my mom dropped off in the janitorial closet!” 

“Woah, woah. Chat, slow down,” Marinette said. “Take a deep breath.” 

“I was supposed to tell him immediately. Crap, I have to find him!”

In one swift motion, Adrien gripped Marinette’s wrist and pulled her off the couch. She yelped in surprise, unsure how to react to Adrien pulling her behind him. 

Adrien’s mind was racing a million miles an hour. He had a job to do and he had gotten distracted! Then again, the distraction itself hadn’t been too bad, but that wasn’t the point. He needed to find their trainer. Fast. They didn’t have any more time for delay. 

Adrien skidded to a stop at the janitor closet that both he and Marinette had sneaked into earlier. He jiggled the handle for a minute before throwing open the door. He stopped in his tracks. In stacks as tall as he was, boxes stood like pillars at the bottom of the entrance ladder. Adrien’s heartbeat quickened when he saw the note attached to the closest one:

_ For the Final Plan,  _

_ ~ Peacock _


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five:

##  **Chapter Thirty-Five:**

 

“Master Fu!” Adrien shouted, bursting into the Charm’s training room. All the Charms froze where they were. The only sound was Max the Owl falling off the climbing wall and yelping as he hit the ground. Standing on the wrestling mat, Master Fu turned to face him. The look he gave Adrien made Marinette glad he wasn’t in his place.

“Yes, Adrien?” he asked. 

Marinette saw Adrien swallow out of the corner of her eye, then he spat out his message. “Sir, the packages arrived in the janitorial closet. Everything is accounted for from what I can see. I haven’t opened them because I wanted to get you first.” 

Master Fu’s eyebrows shot up. “She followed through on her promise?”

He nodded. Marinette pulled her wrist out of Adrien’s grip and took a few steps away from the conversation. “What are you two talking about? Who sent those packages?” 

“My thoughts exactly,” Lila commented from across the room. The raven Charm was leaning on a tall spear, giving Ladybug a skeptical glare. Marinette scowled and turned her attention to Master Fu. The old man was rubbing his cane like he was uncertain if he wanted to spill the answers. After a couple long seconds, he locked eyes with Adrien. 

“I believe Adrien should be the one to explain since it is a very personal matter to him.” 

Marinette spun to look at Adrien. No one else would have seen the uncertainty behind his solid expression, but Marinette could. She could see his Adam’s apple jump, his fists clench tighter, and his breathing waver for just a second. She opened her mouth to say something, but Adrien beat her to it. He flicked his gaze toward her.

“I don’t think it matters how we got them. What’s more important is what’s in them.” He turned toward Master Fu. “What’s in the packages, sir?” 

The Chinese man smirked. “Why don’t you bring them here and we’ll find out together.”

Just like that, Adrien disappeared. Marinette stood alone, barely able to catch Adrien’s body sprinting back upstairs. Without a second thought, she ran after him. Before she left the room, however, she turned. 

“We’re going to need some help! Dad, Kim, Felix, Nino, Alya, Natha-” she stopped and shook her head. He wasn’t here. She continued like nothing had happened, “We need to get all the boxes down here!” 

The operation itself didn’t take long, especially with so many people helping. As they transferred the boxes, Marinette kept trying to get Adrien’s attention, but he seemed to be off in some distant world. She would try and ask him questions. He would either respond with a simple “Mmhmm?”, a nod of the head, or he wouldn’t even do anything. It was like talking to a rock. Something was up, something he wasn’t telling her.

She didn’t want to get mad at him, but it was peeving to think that she had just spilled her heart to him and now he wasn’t opening up to her. Weren’t they on the same team? Could he not trust her? Or was she just looking into it too much? That was probably it. She was most likely taking it too far. 

Taking a deep breath, Marinette focused on getting the boxes downstairs into the training center. Even after being in the healing pod for a while, she was still a little sore. Before Adrien had been called down to see her earlier, she had talked with Nathanael about how he was feeling. He had said that he was still facing some of the side effects of the arena, even though he had been through the healing pod. Marinette couldn’t help but agree with him. It was like her body was still putting itself back together. Because of this, she couldn’t lift as much as she wanted to. Instead of carrying two boxes, she could barely carry one. Not only was that a little frustrating, but it made her feel slightly useless. 

Ahead of her, she noticed Adrien carrying two boxes of his own. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but she shut it quickly. No, he wouldn’t want to talk to her. He was busy. 

“You okay, my girl?” 

Marinette jumped and turned to find her father walking next to her. He had three boxes in his big arms and he carried them like it was the easiest thing in the world. Then again, she had seen him carry cakes bigger than she was. She forced a smile. 

“Yeah, I’m doing just fine, Papa.” 

He gave her a raised eyebrow. “You sure? You seem a little down if you ask me.” 

Shrugging, Marinette looked down at the box in her arms. “I guess I can’t argue with that…” 

They walked down the hallway in silence for a few moments, but Tom broke the ice fairly quickly. “Don’t tell me that boy has you down.” 

She shrugged. No matter which boy her dad was referencing, it fit both ways. She decided to ask. “What do you mean?” 

Tom smirked, looking at her from the corner of his eye. “Well, I just figured that the proper dad thing to do would be to tell you that if Adrien’s causing you any trouble, I’ll be sure to teach him a lesson he won’t forget.” 

Marinette couldn’t help but break into a smile. She looked back at Adrien, who was entering the elevator, and shook her head. “Don’t worry, he’s been amazing. I just worry about him sometimes.” 

“Sometimes, huh? I suppose that ‘sometimes’ also refers to how often you kiss him? Only ‘sometimes’.” 

“Papa!” Marinette exclaimed, laughing as she nudged her dad. 

He gave her a sly smile. “Don’t deny it. I know how much you care for the boy.” 

She couldn’t help but smile to herself. “Yeah… I think I love him, Dad.” 

Tom chuckled, shifted all of his boxes to one hand, then clapped his daughter’s shoulder. “No matter who you choose to love, I’ll always support you, sweetie.” 

Marinette grinned from ear to ear. 

She and her father walked into the elevator, still talking light-heartedly. Marinette didn’t know it at the time, but Adrien stood right behind her. She had been too into her conversation with her dad to notice Adrien’s loving gaze. 

After all of the boxes had been brought into the training room, everyone gathered around. Kim dropped the last box that he had been carrying and doubled over on his knees. He sucked in as much breath as he could between his words. 

“Why… are these… so… heavy?” 

Alix chuckled and folded her arms, leaning on him just to annoy him. “I dunno, Kim. Why don’t you work out more?” 

He scowled at her, but before he could respond, Master Fu pulled himself up onto one of the boxes. 

“Gather around, everyone. It’s time you all know what we’ve been planning.”

Everyone exchanged looks of concern, interest, and curiosity as they circled around the stack of boxes. Master Fu looked over the crowd, meeting the gazes of Marinette’s parents, the Charms, Alya, Nino, Adrien, and last, but certainly not the least, Marinette. 

“As all of you know, it has been announced that Chloe Bourgeois is the winner of the Miraculous Games. Most of you here were personally in that arena and if you weren’t, we all witnessed the acts that were pursued there. Though I may not have been inside the torture chamber myself, I know the effects it can leave on someone.” 

The Charms all glanced at one another. Marinette’s stomach became heavy with guilt. She had fought almost every Charm in the room, and all for what? Because she wanted to win over Adrien’s heart?

“For those of you who teamed up with the Bee charm during the Games, would you care to tell us about your experience with her?” Master Fu asked, turning his sharp attention to a select group of Charms. Funnily enough, they were all standing next to each other. Kim, Max, and Sabrina awkwardly shifted in their shoes. 

“She was selfish,” Max answered, not looking their trainer in the eye. “Though the odds were in her favor - eleven to two, exactly - we discovered early on that the odds did not rub off on us in any positive way.” 

“She’s a jerk,” Kim summarized. “We never should have trusted her.” 

Master Fu shifted his gaze to Sabrina. The red head pursed her lips and looked down at the floor. Marinette was almost positive that she wouldn’t say anything, but she did. 

“She was my friend…” Sabrina muttered, rubbing her hands together anxiously. “I trusted her for a long time… I did her homework, comforted her, and was a friend to her when no one else was… I… I thought she would have stuck up for me when the time came, but apparently not…” Her bottom lip trembled and she shook her head. “I don’t want her to be the leader of the country. I don’t trust her anymore.” 

Max reached over and patted her shoulder. She forced a smile and tried to swallow her emotions. Marinette looked at Master Fu, folding her arms as she waited for the reason why Chloe had been brought up. 

“In the light of present events,” he said, “I assembled a team, one that I knew could take it down. Though Chloe may be rising into power, that isn’t the biggest problem on the table.” 

“Oh?” Felix questioned, using a knife to pick his fingernails. “If that isn’t our biggest problem, what is?” 

“The Game Master.”

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Next to her, Marinette saw Adrien stiffen, his shoulders appearing as though they had turned into stone. If Adrien had that serious of a reaction, Marinette immediately knew it was something serious.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ivan asked, his arm wrapped across Mylene’s shoulder. 

Master Fu tucked his hands behind his back. “It means that we need to take him down.” The old man sighed and bowed his head. “There is something I haven’t told you all yet, and I believe that it will make the job much easier if we are all honest with one another. Myself included.” There was a long pause, and it was so quiet, Marinette could have heard a pin drop. 

“Charms,” Master Fu finally said, “I was the previous Game Master. I have created the arenas for the past twenty years. This year, however, I was kicked out of my position. I decided to keep my mouth shut and to start finding out who it was from the inside. There was no report filed, no investigation started, unless you count my obvious job of becoming the Charm’s trainer.” 

“Woah, woah, hold it.” Adrien pointed at the old man. “ _ You _ created the arena?” 

“Most of it, yes,” he responded without a second thought. 

Adrien stared at him in shock. Then, he said, “Alright, if you’re coming clean about this, I might as well tell everyone else what all these boxes are for.” 

Marinette hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath until that moment. She finally breathed just as Adrien ninja-like slipped his hand into hers. Funnily enough, she wasn’t surprised. She had a feeling he needed someone to stand behind him. 

He gestured to the boxes. “Inside these boxes are supplies for our fight against the Game Master and my father. My mother provided them, going by the name of ‘Peacock’. And now that-” 

“Hold up, time out,” Alya said, cutting him off. She put her hands on her hips as she spoke. “Didn’t your mother disappear, like, two years ago?” 

Adrien’s expression softened. “Yes, she did… This is the first time she has come in contact with me, and that was all thanks to Master Fu.” 

The Chinese man nodded. “I contacted her, along with some other benefactors, to help us get these.” With a swift motion that made everyone jump, he swung his cane and lodged it under the lid of one of the crates. As if it wasn’t difficult at all, he pried it off. It toppled to the ground and everyone took a giant step backward. 

Well, except one. 

Nino curiously took a few steps toward the box. With prying eyes, he cautiously looked into the box. Marinette saw his expression twist in confusion as he reached inside. 

“What the heck?” he said, holding up a sky blue sequined dress. He held it up to his chest and Alya snorted. He shot her a look, but the conversation quickly shifted.

“What are a bunch of dresses going to do for us?” Alix accused, her face twisted in disgust. 

“They are our disguises,” Master Fu answered. He reached inside, pulling out a suit coat. “Each of you will infiltrate the Charm ball in these costumes. Once we are inside, we’ll be able to shut down the building and stop the crowning of leadership from happening.” 

“Ooo! They’re so pretty!” Rose squealed. She pulled out a bright pink dress and spun around. “It looks just like a poodle!” 

“That’s because it was,” Master Fu said. Rose stopped spinning. The old man smiled. “It’s the costume from a couple years ago when Poodle was one of the Charms.” 

“Wait, these are all costumes from previous Charms. This one was Salmon’s,” Alya said. She bent over the edge of the crate and pulled out a royal blue satin dress. 

“We have to wear more costumes?” Felix grumbled. 

Master Fu nodded. “Once everyone is assigned a costume, we will meet on the top floor.” He turned to face Marinette’s parents. “I wasn’t planning on having you two on the mission, but we do have enough costumes.” 

Tom shook his head. “It’s quite alright. Sabine and I will stay here. We’ll be able to look after the place.” 

As Master Fu finished the conversation with Marinette’s parents, Adrien squeezed Marinette’s hand. She looked down at their hands, then at Adrien. He seemed far away, distracted by something in his mind before he spoke. 

“Ladybug,” he muttered quietly, “I… I need to talk to you.” 

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity, but took the opportunity and nodded. The two left the training room and made their way to the elevator. They were completely quiet on the way up, the only thing breaking the silence being the elevator’s chime. 

What did Adrien want to talk to her about? Had she done something wrong? Was he okay? He seemed so wrapped up in his head. What was bothering him?

The pair walked to the end of the hallway and into the fancy apartment but before Marinette could get too far, Adrien took her wrist. She looked at him, then saw that he had made eye contact with Nathanael. The Fox charm was lounging on the couch, yet when they had walked in, Marinette couldn’t help but notice the glares the boys gave one another. 

Guilt settled in her stomach, but she tried to shove it away. That was a problem she would have to deal with later. Marinette tugged on Adrien.

“Here, let’s go somewhere private.” 

Adrien followed her, turning away from Nathan. Marinette pulled the black cat up into her room. She walked in and as soon as Adrien came inside, she closed the door. She turned around and leaned against it, folding her arms.

“Alright, what’s on your mind?”

He didn’t say anything at first, but he soon was able to open up. “I’ve been debating how to say this, but I think I need to just tell you bluntly…” His hands rubbed together nervously. “I don’t think you should come on this mission.” 

Marinette stared at him, her mouth agape. “W-what? Why not?” 

“Because…” He sighed and started to pace back and forth. “It’s not that I don’t want you there, but… I just… I can’t see you get hurt again, and we know with enough assurance that the Game Master wants to take you out for good.”

“Adrien, I can fight. I’m fine. I’m healed, ready to go out and take a stand.” 

He shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. “But what if I’m not there? What if you get trapped in a corner and I can’t be there to protect you.” 

Marinette’s eyes softened and she held out an arm. It stopped him from pacing and he looked at her. With a soft touch, she brushed fingers her along his cheek. “I may be scared, Chat, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take a stand. I hate to admit it, but people are going to get hurt, no matter what the cost… I was looking around at everyone here and I realized that everyone here is capable of taking care of themselves.” 

Adrien looked at her, and Marinette could tell the pain he was trying to hide from her. He closed his eyes and took a step back. “Marinette, I can’t lose you again. You came so close to dying and I can’t, I won’t, let it happen again.” He pulled away, letting Marinette’s hands drop. “I need you to stay here.” He turned his back to her and walked to the door. 

“No, Adrien. I want to help, I want to fight!” Marinette argued. 

He bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Marinette, but it’s for your own good.” 

Before Marinette realized what was going on, Adrien shut the door tightly. Marinette gasped. Had he just…? She ran over to it and tugged on the handle. It was locked. 

“Adrien!” Marinette shouted, pounding her fists on the door. “Open the door! Let me out! Adrien!”

He didn’t respond. Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her forehead against the door. 

“Chat, please… Let me out…”

*** * ***

Adrien held the door handle tightly in his hand, and even though he had locked the door, he couldn’t let go. His soul fought against his better judgment. He could hear it screaming in his mind, pleading with him to let her out. He couldn’t do this to her, didn’t he love her?

“I’m doing this for you, Marinette,” he muttered, resting his forehead against the door. “I can’t lose you… I love you too much to see you get hurt…”

He squeezed his eyes shut. Tears began to well up in the corners and there was nothing he could do to stop them. It hurt, it hurt so much to leave her, but it needed to be done. She needed to stay safe. She was the face of the revolution and everyone was on the hunt for her. 

A tear trailed down his cheek. Chat choked on his words, but he knew he couldn’t leave without saying them. “I’m sorry, My Lady…” 


	36. Chapter Thirty-Six:

##  **Chapter Thirty-Six:**

 

Nathanael watched Adrien leave the room, making his way back downstairs. Raising his eyebrow, he realized that Marinette wasn't with him. Had something gone down? 

“Hey,” he commented, trying to catch the black cat’s attention. “Where’s Marinette?” 

Adrien didn't reply. Whether he had ignored him or didn't hear him, Nathan wasn't sure. Either way, it made him upset. Then again, it’s not like he wanted to talk to him anyway. 

“Fine, don’t answer me,” Nathan muttered. He struggled to get to his feet, using the couch to help him up. Even though he had come out of the healing pod ‘fully healed’, he didn’t feel that way. Every scan, blood test, and analysis told him that his body was fine. He knew it was a lie. Pain still coursed through his muscles, leaving him unable to work or participate with the others. He considered himself the runt of the tear: the handicapped one. It was frustrating, but he was grateful that Marinette was still by his side. Maybe not as close as she once was, but she still at least treated him like a human being. Adrien, on the other hand, only gave him hateful glares. That’s what he thought. 

With caution, Nathanael made his way up the stairs that led to the bedrooms. Maybe laying down and going to sleep would help him forget his problems. And hey, if it could help him heal faster, he wouldn’t complain about that at all. As he reached the top of the stairs, he noticed a pounding noise to his right. What what that? He heard someone yelling furrowed his eyebrows with concern. 

“You stupid cat! I want to help… Please, let me help!”

It was Marinette. 

“Ladybug?” Nathan called, making his way to the door. 

“Fox!” Marinette exclaimed. “Please, can you open the door?”

He responded to her question by grabbing the door handle and jiggling it. It wouldn’t budge. 

“Is it locked?” he asked. 

“Wait, is it not?”

“I… think so?” Nathan fiddled with the handle a little longer before finally twisting it open successfully. When the door swung inside, Nathanael was taken aback at what he saw. 

Marinette was on her knees, staring up at him like he was her saving grace. Her face was blotted with tears. Her eyes were red, her bottom lip trembled, and her hair was a mess. 

“Oh, Marinette…” Fox breathed. He rushed forward and hugged her tightly. Marinette melted to the floor and buried her head into his shoulder. “What did he do to you? What did Adrien say?”

She shook her head. “It’s okay… I… I’m fine.” 

“No, you’re not.” Nathan pulled out of the embrace but didn’t let go of her shoulders. “What happened?” 

Marinette glanced down at the floor, rubbing her shirtsleeve under her nose as she sniffled. “It’s nothing, Fox. I just…” She sighed. “I’m just frustrated.” 

“Marinette, please.” He gripped her shoulders tighter. “What did he say to you? Did he hurt you?” 

She was quiet for a minute as if she were trying to pull herself together. Then, the dam broke. She let out a sob that was half cry and half frustration. The truth spilled from her lips. She explained how Adrien wasn’t letting her leave, to let her fight. She expressed through her tears how desperately she wanted to show the world what she was made of. She may have been scared, she said, but that didn’t mean that she had to stay back and let other people fight for her. With determination etched deeply into her features, she declared that she was no longer going to let anyone get in her way of standing up for herself. 

“I got into this mess,” she confessed, pulling away from Nathanael and looking straight into his eyes. Her bluebell orbs met his turquoise ones with so much intensity, they could have been flaming red. “I need to get myself out.” 

“But you can’t do that alone,” Nathanael insisted. “You can’t run into a fight without someone guarding your back.” 

He watched as her expression changed. It went from ferocity to absolute devastation. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she bowed her head. Nathanael knew what she was thinking about. Who she was thinking about. Adrien. He had stood behind her for so long, but Nathan refused to let him destroy Marinette. He couldn’t let that happen to one of his deepest and closest friends that he had ever had. 

Being the child of an art-oriented family, he really hadn’t made that many friends. He was the weird kid, the kid no one wanted to get to know because they had been afraid that he would be too ‘deep’ for them. The Miraculous Games had been his way of escape. And… 

He had met Marinette. 

He couldn’t lie, he had liked Marinette for a long time. They had known each other in school and she was nice to him, but they had never been close. In the Games, though, they had relied on each other. They had stood back to back fighting for their lives and to stay in the running. People had rooted for them, applauded for their performance. Heck, he had even gotten the chance to kiss her!

But now, as he sat here on the ground next to Marinette, he realized that it wasn’t what she wanted. He could see on her face, pain and all, that she truly loved someone. Someone other than him. They way she looked at him wasn’t the same way she looked at Adrien. It was like she could see a future with him. She gazed at him like he was her entire world. 

And yet, Adrien had shut her out. 

Nathanael clenched his jaw. He knew that pain. 

“Marinette,” he said, his tone stiff and precise, “I realize that you love Adrien, I’ve always known that, whether he was Chat Noir or not. I thought that I could somehow change your mind, but now I see that there’s nothing I can do.” He met her gaze. She was looking at him, her eyes starting to water again. 

“Nathanael, I’m so sor-” 

“But you can,” he insisted, cutting her off. “I couldn’t change your mind about how you felt about me, but I know that you can change his mind about you. He said that he didn’t want you to come along because he was afraid he couldn’t protect you - that you would get hurt, correct?” 

Marinette stared at him, her mouth hanging open. He had to admit, he had never been this harsh with her. But desperate times called for desperate measures. 

“I… yes. Yes, that’s what he said.” 

“Then someone else is going to protect you. You are going to fight alongside him. He may not like it, but I don’t care. You’re right, you need to fight. You’re the face of the whole revolution. Ladybug is a symbol of hope, and I’m not going to let it die.” He got to his feet and extended his hand. “I will protect you, Ladybug. Since Chat Noir can’t, I will. And I promise you with every fiber of my being that you will not get hurt. I will not - I cannot - let that happen. Are we clear?” 

Marinette gazed up at him like he was someone she had never seen before. And it was true. Nathanael could feel inside of him that something had grown. Whether it was a sense of dignity, loyalty, or just plain stupidity, he didn’t know. 

“But how?” Marinette asked desperately, lifting her hand hesitantly as if she wanted to take his outstretched hand. 

He smiled down at her, not afraid to let his creative artist side take over. “Don’t worry, I already have a plan.” 

*** * ***

It had been three hours. Three, tortuous hours. 

Adrien sat alone at the edge of the training room. Everyone was going through the costumes, picking out which one they wanted. There had been a big fight between Alya and Lila about who would be in the fox costume. Adrien found it funny that Alya had won, even though both girls had walked away with bruises and scratches. 

Girls.

_ Girls… _

Adrien shut his eyes and tried to focus on something other than  _ her _ . He felt bad enough shutting her away, but now the real guilt had set in. It was eating him alive, leaving him nauseous and on the verge of puking. That on top of the nerves about how their mission would end up was going to have him vomiting all over the floor if he didn’t pull himself together. 

He tightened his grip on his staff. He was trying to repair it in the best way he could, but so far it had only been in vain. Though his baton had been opening and closing better, it still didn’t have the same response time as it once did. He had thought about calling up his mom and asking her how to fix it, but he knew she couldn’t be bothered. Besides, he didn’t even know if she was still alive or not. 

“Adrien,” someone said. The boy spun around, his heart in his throat. The scare was enough to almost make him fall off the box he was sitting on. Master Fu came closer to the boy, his hands holding his cane behind his back. “You seem tense, is something wrong?” 

The black cat opened his mouth to respond, but only sighed and looked down. “I don’t know, sir. I have a lot of conflicting feelings at the moment.” 

“Well, you better put on a confident expression because it’s time to discuss the plan.” He took a step forward and rested a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “The Charms are counting on you to stay strong.” 

After a moment of hesitation, Adrien nodded. Master Fu was right. He needed to keep a strong face for everyone. Luckily, he had been doing it for years. He would have to thank his father for that later. 

Getting to his feet, Adrien took a deep breath and gripped his staff. “Alright, let’s gather everyone together. We’re going to need everyone to hear the entire plan.” 

Master Fu nodded with pride, then stepped aside and gestured for Adrien to walk past. Chat gave the old man a confident smile before puffing out his chest and walking toward the Charms gathered by the costumes. 

“Everyone!” he shouted, raising his arms high. “I’m going to need your attention!”

Nino and Alya turned toward him first. Seeing their confident smiles only helped Adrien feel even better. The guilt still rotted in his stomach, but he at least felt more rooted in his decision. The rest of the Charms turned their attention to him as well. They looked at him like he was some sort of superhero, which he wasn’t sure he was comfortable with. Still, he needed to step up to the plate. 

“I am grateful that you’ve all agreed to help us with the plan,” he said, looking at each one of them individually. “It’s not an easy task, going against everything we’ve grown up with, but I know that we’re strong enough to do it.” 

He tucked his baton into its holder on his back and gestured to the costumes. “I assume that you all have chosen a costume. It is vital that you not only put on the costume but act like you are not a Charm underneath it. In order for this to work, I need each one of you to come up with some sort of disguise other than your costume.

“By tomorrow night, we should have everything in line. Each of you have been given jobs to complete, correct?” He scanned the group. They all nodded in agreement. “Perfect. Once those jobs have been completed, we will meet back in here before departure.” 

Master Fu stepped forward. “Before we leave, each of you will be given a predetermined area to contain. If we are to succeed and strike back effectively, we need to do so with complete stealth.”

Adrien picked up the plan from there. “We will break our way into the ball using these costumes and other supplies that we will receive tomorrow. The plan is to get in, stop the crowning from happening, and take down the Game Master. Once that’s done, Master Fu will be able to take the place as Game Master. I should be able to talk to my father, convince him that this will be the only way to create peace.” 

“Are you sure about that, dude?” Nino asked, then hastily raised his hands. “It’s not that I doubt you, bro, I just think… Are you sure you’re up to facing your father?” 

Adrien set his jaw. In his mind, he was trembling with fear, but on the outside, he was stone-faced. He had to be. 

“Yes, Nino. I can do it. It’s time that my father realizes that I am the only one who will make my destiny. It’s my life, and he needs to understand that.” 

“Not only is it your life, but it’s all of ours too, you know,” Felix replied. He had his arms folded and he was glaring at Adrien. “You’re not the only one who could get hurt in this fight.”

Master Fu stepped forward. “Charms, please. We cannot turn against each other. If we are to take the government down, we need to band together.” 

“I agree,” Alya said, placing a hand on her popped hip confidently. “We’re only as strong as our teammates are.” 

“True wisdom,” Nino commented, his gaze glossed over with affection as he looked at her. 

“The jobs for the infiltration are these,” Adrien said, continuing the plan. “Kim, Sabrina, and Max, you three are in charge of getting inside and letting me, Alya, and Alix in. Us three will blend in with the rest of the dinner guests. Ivan, Felix, Mylene, and Lila are assigned to the kitchen. Your costumes may not be as nice as the rest of ours, but that is only because you need to blend in with the servers and waiters.”

Lila scoffed and folded her arms. “Oh, come on. That’s so not fair.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t get the fox costume now, huh?” Alya commented, raising one eyebrow at the already pissed off Raven.

“The rest of the Charms will come in after that,” Adrien rushed on. They didn’t need another major fight. “Once we are all inside, we need to slowly start spreading the rumor that I am still alive. It should cause enough gossip in the crowd that our attendance shouldn’t be questionable.” The black cat turned to the smartest kid in the room. “Max, your job is to specifically take down the cameras. How you do that is up to you, but we need the cameras in the hallways and the main ballroom took down.” 

Max adjusted his glasses proudly. “There is over 70% of odds in our favor with that decision.” 

Felix scoffed. “Cocky, much?” Lila snickered at his comment. 

“Once the cameras are down, we should have decent enough cover. More details will be revealed at a later time, I’m sure, so for now, I think this will do.” Adrien looked back at Master Fu. “Is there anything you would like to add, sir?” 

The old man smiled. “Not to the whole group, no. I would like to talk to you in private, however.” 

That sent alarm bells screeching in Adrien’s mind. He had caught on. Master Fu was on his tail. 

Adrien nodded firmly, trying to act like it didn’t bother him. “Alright then, it seems as though the meeting is now adjourned.” 

After he said that, the Charms began chatting with one another about the plan. Some complained about their jobs, others were chattering on and on about theirs, but Adrien didn’t care. His forehead was already beaded with sweat as he turned around to face Master Fu. He opened his mouth to speak, but the old man held up a finger and waved for him to follow. Adrien shut his mouth, stuck his hands into his pockets to hide his nervous tics, then obediently followed him. They walked out into the hallway outside of the training room, and once the door was completely shut, Master Fu turned to face the young boy. 

“I noticed you did not mention Marinette in the plan. Is there something going on between the two of you?” 

Adrien bit his lip and nervously cast his gaze down at the floor. “Well, it’s not like that, sir.”

“Then what is it like, Adrien?” 

He had been placed on the spot and Adrien had no clue what to say. Should he just spit the truth out plain and simple, or should he try to evade the topic? After a second or two, he decided that there was no way he could hide from his decision. Master Fu would find out eventually. The crazy old man had his ways. 

“We had a disagreement,” he stated simply. 

Master Fu raised an eyebrow. “Oh? About what?” 

Adrien sighed and lifted a hand to rub his neck. “Well, I… I told her that I didn’t want her to come on this mission.” 

The Chinese man was quiet for a long moment, the pause killing Adrien more than any words could have. Finally, he spoke. “And if she does not come, where will she be?” 

“In…” He couldn’t say it. It was at the back of his throat, ready to be said, but he couldn’t let his tongue say the words. He knew, once the words escaped, there was no turning back. 

“Adrien,” Master Fu insisted, “where is she?”

The young man sighed, dropped his hand, and slumped his shoulders. “She’s in her room. There was nothing else I could do. She wouldn’t listen to me and I knew that she would only get herself hurt if she came with us. It was for her safety, as much as I hate to admit it.” 

Master Fu didn’t say anything for a long pause. He only stared at Adrien before finally dropping his gaze and letting out a heavy sigh. 

“I respect your decision, Adrien. I only worry about what the consequences may be.” 

Adrien bowed his head. “Thank you for understanding, Master Fu.”

The old man waved his cane, gesturing down the hall toward the elevator. “I would suggest getting some rest now. We have a long day ahead of us and I would recommend that you get as much sleep as possible.”

Adrien nodded, stuffed his hands back into his pockets, then turned around. As he walked down the hallway, he could feel Master Fu’s gaze on his neck. With his trainer’s intense attention trained in so strongly on him, Adrien couldn’t help but wonder one simple question:

Had he done the right thing? 


	37. Chapter Thirty-Seven:

##  **Chapter Thirty-Seven:**

 

“Good evening, Miraculous Games viewers!” Alec greeted, waving to the camera. The TV announcer was wearing his giraffe suit, his face painted like the animal. It appeared as though he was on his way to a children’s birthday party rather than the biggest event of the year. “Mrs. Chamach and I are just outside the marvelous ball that is taking place in honor of our winner, Chloe Bourgeois!” He gestured behind him to the shining government building like it wasn’t obvious enough, what with the shining spotlights and guests entering the wondrous garden and all. “This is definitely an occasion that cannot be missed!” 

“Indeed,” Nadja responded, smiling at the camera. She was dressed up for the occasion as well, though not as enthusiastically as Alec. She wore a simple gray dress with small gray and pink ears pinned on the top of her head. With a touch of pink on her nose, it was obvious she was trying to be a mouse. “We have a lot to look forward to tonight. Sadly, though, we were informed that President Agreste will not be in attendance this year, what with the news of his son’s death.” 

Alec nodded sadly, his painted face looking almost clownish as he tried not to frown. “The poor man must be going through a hard grieving process. However, I’m glad he’s taking the night off! He deserves a break. On a similar note, we have been told that the Game Master will be the one who crowns Queen Bee this year! Isn’t that exciting?” 

“Definitely, Alec,” Mrs. Chamach commented with a small smile. “This will be the first year ever to have the Game Master, creator of the actual Miraculous Games arena, give out the winning title and crown.” 

“Oh, it just makes me want to squeal!” Alec admitted, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He turned to look at the camera. “Stay tuned for the full broadcast of this extravagant event! So many amazing things are going to happen tonight - I can just feel it! Don’t miss out on the fun!” 

*** * ***

Adrien crouched in the bushes, peeking through the leaves of the shrub. Lights were flashing inside the building, very much party style. It was weird, sitting out in the cold. If he hadn’t have gone rogue, he would have been inside that dance hall. Funny how things work out. He remembered the past few years, standing on the dance floor and watching all of the charms dance around him. It wasn’t like this was his first rodeo. 

His mind flashed back to a time when he was much younger, maybe ten-years-old or so. He had hid behind his mom, her blue and turquoise dress clenched in his small fists as he watched Charms walk by. It had been a long time ago, and he didn’t remember much, but what he did remember was that he had been terrified of all of the Charm’s masks. His mother had told him that they weren’t going to hurt him - that they were only pretending. 

Ah, if little Adrien had known back then what the present Adrien had done. 

“Where are they?” Alya hissed, pulling aside some of the shrub’s branches. Her comment brought Adrien back to the present. He shrugged. 

“They might be caught up in something.” 

“Probably partying, if I know Kim,” Alix muttered, scowling as she batted some of her pink flamingo feathers away. Adrien had noticed that the pink feather dress had been driving her crazy, especially the feathers that kept drooping over her eyes. 

Alya elbowed her. Whether it was playfully or not, Adrien wasn’t sure. Understanding girls wasn’t really his forte. He had learned that lesson quickly enough over the past few hours…  

His mind drifted back to Marinette. Her beautiful hair, her amazing voice, and her stunning eyes. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to push her out of his thoughts. She was safe. That’s all that mattered. She was locked away in a comfortable room with enough to survive one night. She had a bathroom, a comfortable bed, and hey, even some food that he had secretly stashed in there. She was just fine. He just had to keep a cool head and--

He stopped breathing. His whole body was frozen, no doubt as pale as a ghost, but his mind was running a million miles an hour. 

All of this time he had been telling Marinette that shielding her was the only way to keep her safe, but in all reality… he was inflicting the same pain he had endured. He had been locked away, forced to stay in the mansion. His father no doubt had thought the same thing as he was. 

Adrien has enough. He’ll be safe and happy.  _ I can’t be there to protect him.  _

Alya noticed Adrien freeze. Furrowing her eyebrows, she placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, you okay?” 

Adrien finally took a deep breath and shook his head. It was time to come clean. “To be honest, no. I’m not okay…”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to puke on me,” Alix protested. 

Alya shot her an irritated glare before turning her attention back to Adrien. Her expression turned softer. “Is it about Marinette?” He looked at her. He didn’t even have to say anything, his eyes gave enough away. Alya laughed. “Dude, I know these things. I can tell because you get this look on your face. Like you’re thinking about waffles or something.”

Mmm… waffles. 

“Wait, why isn’t she here?” Alix asked, randomly popping back into the conversation. 

Adrien’s shoulders tensed. He didn’t want to answer her question, but he had a feeling both Alix and Alya would keep pestering him if he didn’t. He bit the inside of his lip before sinking down to the ground and crossing his legs. With a trembling hand, he rubbed his forehead. 

“I… I locked her away.” 

Both Alya and Alix stopped, then looked at each other in shock. 

“You did what?” Alya inquired. 

Adrien bowed his head, his whole body stiff. When he spoke, he had expected his voice to quiver, but it was as dead as roadkill. “I locked her in her bedroom. I knew that she would want to come with so I… I took the situation into my own hands. I couldn’t have her get hurt, not again.” 

Alix leaned back on her hands. She appeared interested in what he had to say but was making a point not to speak a word. Alya, on the other hand, folded her arms and gave Adrien a stern glare. 

“Adrien, you can’t just shove her away like that. She’s an independent woman! She can make her own choices and accept the consequences for them.” 

“But I just…” Adrien clenched his fists and grit his teeth. “She almost died in my arms and I couldn’t just… not do anything. She would only hurt herself if she came and if she got hurt, I don’t know if I could live with myself knowing that I could have prevented it…” 

Alya’s expression softened. She unfolded her arms and placed a hand on Adrien’s knee. Her eyes were bold, but her voice was calm. 

“Adrien, you can’t force anyone to do anything. Marinette survived the Miraculous Games. I’m sure she’d be able to survive this.” 

“She has a point,” Alix jumped in. Adrien hadn’t thought she was paying attention, but apparently, she was. 

He shook his head and pulled away from Alya’s grip. “But what you guys don’t understand is a number of things that are at risk here.” He looked directly at the girl in the fox costume. “Alya, the Game Master is trying to murder Marinette.” Before Alya could ask questions, he plowed on. “He knew that I was Chat Noir and used it against me to get the chance to kill Ladybug. I can’t let that happen again, especially since we’re going into his territory.” 

Alya was quiet for a few moments, staring at him as if waiting for him to go on, then sighed and hung her head. “Even with that, you can’t force decisions upon her. I realize how much you love her, but this is on an entirely different playing field, Adrien. If you love her as much as I believe you do, you would let her make her own decisions. Whether they be good or bad, you need to support her and only warn her of the danger. That’s all. Don’t force her next time, okay?” 

“If there is a next time,” Alix muttered.

Adrien opened his mouth to say something, but just then, the shrub rustled. All three kids froze, holding their breaths. Had they been spotted? Had they been talking too loudly? Adrien noticed out of the corner of his eye that Alya clenched her fists. Was she going to deck whoever was on the other side of the leaves? 

“Guys? You in here?” a familiar voice said. A hand parted some of the branches, revealing a pair of brown glasses and ginger hair tucked into a pair of red panda ears. 

The three Charms let out a huge sigh of relief. It was only Sabrina. 

“Yeah, we’re here,” Alix replied, getting to her feet and revealing herself. Alya and Adrien followed her lead, though much more cautiously. Once Adrien stood up, he was able to see that Kim was standing over by the far door, attempting to appear casual like he was getting a breath of fresh air. However, he didn’t see Max anywhere.

“Where’s Max?” Alya asked. 

“He’s finding a way to hack the cameras,” Sabrina answered, waving them out of the bush. “It shouldn’t take long for him to send us the feed.” 

“Perfect,” Adrien responded. He figured that it was time to be a leader now. He didn’t have time to think about his mistakes and show his weaknesses. His friends and teammates needed him. “Let’s get inside and try to keep a low profile until Max sends us the camera data.” 

The group nodded. As they walked over to the door, Alya and Alix brushed themselves off, trying to rid themselves of any leaves or dirt that would suggest that they had been hiding a bush. Once they reached the door, everyone went inside, following Kim and Sabrina - except for Adrien. He stopped at the door, looking back outside at the brilliant night sky. 

He had a feeling that his whole world was going to change. 

Taking a deep breath, Adrien straightened his purple moth-themed suit and stepped into the abyss of people. 

*** * ***

Marinette took a deep breath as she took in the stunningly beautiful stars above her. Oh, it felt so freeing to be out of the Charm center. Though they building had been fairly large, there was nothing that could replace the feeling of a cold breeze blowing through her hair or the smell of fresh air. 

“Ladybug,” Nathanael whispered to her. 

She turned. He was standing near an open hatch, his elephant costume looking kinda ridiculous compared to their situation. It didn’t fit his character very well, but that didn’t matter. It was the disguise that counted. 

“Are you ready to go?” he asked. 

Marinette took one final deep breath, then nodded. The two charms made their way into the hatch, dropping down into a long hallway. Marinette landed on both her feet, careful not to rip her blue and green dress. The mask on her face slipped a little bit, but she decided not to pay any attention to it. Nathan landed right beside her, cautiously looking up and down the hallway. 

“See anyone?” 

Ladybug shook her head. “No, no one is here.” 

“Perfect. The ballroom should only be a couple doors away from here.”

The pair made their way down the hallway, careful not to make a lot of noise. They followed the sound of booming music to a door that was obviously the entrance. It was wide open, the sound of the ball pouring into the empty hallway. Marinette found it surprising that no one was in the hall, but she decided not to question it. The fates were working in their favor. 

And, just like that, she and Nathanael were inside. They emerged into the ballroom on the second floor. Stairs lead down to the main dance floor on both sides of them. In the very center of the room, a large stage with a single microphone stood proudly. Marinette figured that Queen Bee had not been crowned the winner yet, which was a blessing all on its own. 

Speaking of Queen Bee, Marinette could see her even from across the room. She was chatting with a group of young men, giggling and flirting with them. Her dress -  _ ugh, her dress _ \- was about as revealing as a towel after a shower. It fit her body so tightly, Marinette couldn’t even stand to look at her. How she breathed in it, she had no idea. On top of the skin-tight satin that accentuated every curve, black lace traced the scooping neckline, created what appeared to be stripes across her chest and abdomen, and lined each edge of the fabric. The black against her skin made her appear to be made of porcelain. Her blue eyeshadow was caked on more than Marinette had seen it last - and that was saying a lot. Ladybug could see the ugly blue even through the holes in Chloe’s mask.

It was a miracle she had even survived the games. 

Luckily, unlike Chloe, Nathanael and Marinette blended in perfectly with the rest of the crowd. Everyone was dressed up like an animal, mimicking the Miraculous Games theme. It was odd being back in the same ballroom at a dance, Marinette thought. Even more surprisingly, she never would have expected to have been back here with Nathanael by her side again. Funny how life worked like that. 

The two Charms made their way through the crowd of people. Marinette saw animals of all different kinds. Mice, Kangaroos, bears, and all kinds of other creatures milled about the room. They drank from fancy glasses, chortled over silly topics, and gossiped about the latest news. Marinette tuned into one of the conversations between a Rabbit and a Seal nearby. 

“Can you believe it? After everything that’s happened, I’m not surprised that he isn’t here.”

“I didn’t doubt the news in the slightest once I heard it. What with his wife gone forever and his son presumably dead, I’m surprised it took him this long to hand over the leadership role.” 

“Indeed, but didn’t you hear Macie’s juicy news? She told me that she caught wind of some doctors chatting and saying that Adrien isn’t dead at all!” 

Insert a gasp from the Seal. “How scandalous!” 

“I know right? I bet it’s all part of a huge political scandal.” 

“It wouldn’t surprise me in the least. What with all of the rumors surrounding…” 

Marinette tuned out after that. Her mind started spinning in circles. They knew that Adrien was alive? That was totally going to ruin everything! If they didn’t act quickly before the news spread- but wait. What if it was already too late? 

“Nathan,” Marinette hissed, grabbing his arm to make him look at her, but before she could continue, there was a loud dinging noise that echoed around the room. All attention turned toward the stage. At the microphone, Alec stood proudly. Marinette cringed at the amount of makeup on his face but decided to ignore it once she heard what he said. 

“If we could have Chloe Bourgeois come to the stage, we would like to begin the Miraculous Games Crowning!” 

Marinette’s blood ran cold. It was time. 


	38. Chapter Thirty-Eight:

##  **Chapter Thirty-Eight:**

 

“We need to act, now,” Adrien ordered. Standing with his back to him, Alix nodded, then turned her attention back to a disguised Kim and passed on the message. With a cold stare, Adrien glared at Chloe as she made her way to the stage. Not only was her dress beyond inappropriate, but the way she looked at the crowd made him feel so inferior. And that was something that was not going to fly in his world. 

“I’m  _ sooo _ glad you’re all here to share this moment with me!” Chloe exclaimed to the crowd, holding the microphone Alec handed her too close to her mouth. Her sickly sweet voice made Adrien clench his teeth in disgust. There was only one word that could explain how he felt. 

_ Ugh _ . 

Nadja Chamach immediately stole the mic back from her. “Yes, it really is. Now, at this time, we would like to present the creator of this year’s arena, the Game Master!” 

She gestured dramatically to the audience’s right of the stage. Adrien’s stomach clenched and he sucked in a breath. It was him - the man who had put Marinette through so much pain, the man who knew that he was Chat Noir, and the man who was about to get his butt kicked.

Decked out in a black and purple suit, the Game Master strut across the stage. He carried a black cane that shone under the stage lights. His shoes were shiny black, showing no imperfections whatsoever. And, to top it all off, he wore a silver mask that covered the top of his head, down the sides of his face, and his nose. The only thing it revealed were his eyes and his mouth. He walked past Nadja and Alec, who had taken a step back on either side of the stage, his purple cape swishing behind him. 

“What a pleasure it is to have you here, sir,” Queen Bee said, curtsying deeply - or as deep as her dress would allow her to. Adrien noticed her change of tone and wondered if anyone else had as well. Was she scared of him?

Someone nudged Adrien’s arm. He glanced over to see Nino, decked out in a turtle costume. It was similar to the one he wore for the starting ball, but the fabric had much more detail woven into it. He looked completely different, even though he was only wearing a green mask, a piece of painted metal across his back, and a fancy green suit.

“Everyone’s in position,” he reported. “We’re ready to attack on your signal.” 

Adrien nodded with understanding, but didn’t give the signal. He had a feeling that something was about to go down that they all needed to see. Patience was a virtue, after all. 

The Game Master bowed his head, acknowledging Chloe’s respect, but didn’t say anything. He only turned and extended his hand, as if to be given something. Alec took that as his cue to speak and he jumped to life. 

“And now, we present this year’s crown for the winner of the Miraculous Games!”

The giraffe announcer gestured again. This time, a squad of three bodyguards walked up onto the stage. The center of the three held a box on his hand, unopened yet treated with much care. The crowd began whispering to one another, rumors being brought to life.

“I heard it was bright green!” said one. 

“No no, it’s black and yellow to match her animal!” said another. 

“You’re all wrong. It’s modeled after the last charm she took down,” replied their friend. 

The Game Master took the box and everyone quieted immediately. Everyone held their breath, waiting and watching. What did it look like? What was inside? 

Adrien bumped Nino. 

“Now.” 

*** * ***

BAM!

Screams erupted from many around Marinette as the lights went out, some of them exploding. She sucked in a breath, her mind running a thousand miles an hour. She had been so focused on wanting to pull Chloe’s head off that she hadn’t expected the sudden explosions. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t part of her and Nathanael’s plan. People in the ballroom began to panic, desperately asking each other what was going on. 

What did the crown look like? Why were the lights out? 

“Don’t panic, everyone!” Alec called from the stage, even though microphone wasn’t working. “We’ll figure out what happened. I bet the power just went out, right?” He nervously laughed. 

“Stop!” someone called out. Marinette’s ears perked at the title and she turned. She looked over the balcony. It was hard to see, but she could make out vague figures lined up around the room. None of them looked familiar, except one. 

Down on the dance floor, something began to glow. In the darkness, the figure was impossible to miss. Sewn into the fabric of the suit, purple lights like neon signs began to illuminate the figure. Its black tie turned purple, its coattails sparkled, and its wings came to life. Though his face was covered by a glowing purple mask, it wasn’t hard to tell who it was. 

The crowd whispered to one another, confused but also interested in what was going on. Who was it? What was the figure doing here? What did it want? 

Marinette knew. 

It was Adrien. 

The antennae in his hair flickered to life. Around his mask, the purple light accentuated his features. His green eyes… His blonde hair…

His scowl. 

“You have taken this too far! We all know who the real winner is, and it’s not her!” He pointed angrily at the stage, right at Chloe. She was hiding behind the Game Master, her blue eyes fearful and tight dress being pushed to its limit. 

“You dare contradict my verdict?” the Game Master demanded, and though he didn’t speak very loudly, his voice carried across the entire room. 

“I do. I know your verdict is wrong because I was there!” 

Marinette covered her mouth in shock as his suit changed. It no longer glowed purple and looked like a butterfly. The antennae on his head bent and changed, becoming cat ears that glowed bright green. His suit changed as well, the wings across his back folding in and turning into a long tail. The purple light inside the suit and changed into the same bright green as the ears. And finally, the purple on his mask disappeared and green lights lit up his already-striking green eyes. 

The crowd gasped. It’s Chat Noir!

The name ripped through the room, causing many to take a few steps back in surprise. On stage, Alec, Nadja, and Chloe all inhaled sharply in shock. However, the Game Master looked unmoved - and if anything, more irritated. 

“I come here to take a stand for the real winner of the Miraculous Games! Chloe is a fool and coward!” Chat yelled, his voice echoing off of the walls. Then, he ripped off his mask and tossed it aside. The crowd went wild, and Chat’s words were almost lost in the noise. 

“I am Adrien Agreste, son of President Agreste and protector of the winner! The champion of the Miraculous Games is Ladybug! She stood up against everything that you threw at her, and I know for a fact that you tried to murder her! If that isn't against the rules, I dunno what is.”

The crowd was thrown into a tizzy. Some of the guests were shocked beyond belief that they couldn’t say a word. Others began to shout their own opinions, whether they were for or against Chat. The Game Master seemed only amused by the crowd’s response. 

“If you truly think she is the winner,” he called out, “then where is she?” 

Chat’s expression faltered. The ball guests cried out in opposition and agreement, though the majority were on the Game Master’s side. Chat swallowed, glancing around nervously. 

Marinette’s breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, and yet, she instinctively reached for the weapon on her back. Once hidden in the massive feathers of her dress, she pulled it out into the open. 

“I’m here to send the message,” Chat said, trying his best to answer the Game Master’s question while trying not to acknowledge his mistake. One the crowd didn't need to know. 

Marinette notched it, waiting. Watching. She closed one eye.

The Game Master smirked, waving his cane at the crowd. “It seems as though your so-called winner is the real coward after all.” 

Chat clenched his teeth angrily, his fists closing tightly. He was ready to pounce.

Marinette let the arrow fly. 

THUNK!

From the stage, Chloe let out an ear splitting scream. All attention was turned toward her. The Game Master whipped around to see her pinned to the ground by the fabric of her dress in a very unflattering position. The arrow had caught the back of her dress, right through the fake plastic that had made her butt look unbelievably bigger than naturally possible, and pinned her to the stage with her legs spread. 

“What the-?” The Game Master exclaimed, but Marinette was already in motion. She jumped off the balcony, shot another arrow, then hit the ground and rolled. It was difficult in a fancy dress and holding a bow and arrow, but she didn’t care. She had gone through worse in the arena. 

With a thunk, the arrow had impaled itself at the Game Master’s feet. He growled angrily, scanning the crowd. 

“Show yourself!” he shouted, his face twisted in rage. “Come out of the shadows, you fool!”

Chat was scanning the crowd too, though his expression was more of hope than anything else. 

“Gladly,” Marinette shouted in response. Then, as if like magic, the lights (that had not blown up) flickered to life. The room was flooded with the sudden flash and everyone covered their eyes in surprise. The Game Master sneered in irritation as a spotlight blinded him for a split second. 

It gave Marinette just enough time to shoot another arrow. The projectile flew through the air and caught the Game Master’s cape, pinning it down. She got to her feet, head held high. 

“Ladybug!” Nathanael shouted from up above. She glanced up at him and raised her bow to let him know she was okay. And that she was moving forward with the plan. 

The Game Master scowled at her then thrust his hand toward her and Chat. “Guards, capture them!” 

Smiling, Marinette pulled another arrow out of her collection on her back and notched it. The next thing she knew, Adrien was by her side, his baton tightly gripped in his hand. 

“What are you doing here?” Adrien asked, extending the staff. Though the question sounded harsh, his tone was anything but that. It sounded relieved, like she had saved him from a pit of snakes. 

“You know why I’m here,” Marinette snapped. She was still bitter toward what he did and wasn’t ready to forgive him. He seemed to wilt a little bit, but she figured that he wasn’t going to leave her again. 

The guards surged toward them in waves. Both Marinette and Adrien took them down with ease. Marinette couldn’t help but notice how well they worked together. They worked as a unit - a team, really - taking down the enemy without having to say a word to the other. 

“I have support ready to jump into action,” he reported, smacking his baton across a guard’s face.

“I’d rather not have their positions compromised,” she replied sharply. 

Adrien sighed. “Can you please work with me? I’m trying to help.” 

She punched a guard, then shot an arrow at another. “I have a lot on my mind right now and I’d rather not think about how you ditched me. Does that sound fair?” 

He didn’t reply after that. The two continued to fight side by side as the guards attacked. It was oddly surreal. Marinette felt like she could take on the world. With her peacock dress twirling around her, she felt like a princess. And yet, the bow made her feel like a warrior. No, not a warrior. 

A superhero.


	39. Chapter Thirty-Nine:

##  **Chapter Thirty-Nine:**

 

Nathanael tripped over his costume for the millionth time that night, but it didn’t stop him. He had to stop the Game Master before he could get away. While Ladybug and Chat Noir were fighting the guards, Fox had noticed the Game Master making his escape.

And Nathanael knew he couldn’t get away.

He wasn’t as dramatic as Marinette, what with jumping over the edge and all, but he knew he had to catch the Game Master before he got away. Racing down the steps as fast as he could, he pushed his way through the panicked ball guests as he ran after the man in the silver mask. His costume whipped behind him like it was trying to escape.

Stomp stomp stomp stomp!

Nathanael slid right in front of the door, arms outstretched and blocking the way. Breathing heavily, he glared at the Game Master.

“You’re not leaving,” he sneered.

The Game Master stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow. Nathan tilted his head in confusion. Why was he smiling?

“How long has it been?” The Game Master asked, gripping his cane with both hands.

“Long enough,” Nathanael hissed. He stood his ground, unmovable and fierce.

“I see.” The Game Master stood up straighter and rested his hand on the top of his cane. “You may have escaped once, but that won’t happen again.”

“It will!” Nathan shouted. “I will always fight! I will never-”

He was cut off by the Game Master slamming his cane against the floor. Pain erupted in Nathanael’s mind. He did the only thing he could.

He screamed.

*** * ***

Marinette froze. That scream, she knew whose scream that was.

“Look out!” Adrien shouted. He pushed Marinette aside and smacked his baton across the face of the guard who had been about to club her over the head.

“Are you okay?” Chat asked, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Marinette shook her head and barely missed an attack by one of the guards. “No, Nathanael is in trouble. We need to find him!”

“Wait, you brought Fox with you?”

“He was the one who let me out of my room, so yes, I did.”

Marinette shot him a glare. Adrien turned away and continued to fight, but didn’t seem to bring the topic back up. Marinette focused on fighting as well, but she knew she had to go find Nathan. He had to be around here somewhere. But could she just leave Adrien to fight alone?

She scanned the room, looking for anything or anyone that looked familiar. The chaos of the room was hard to sort through, but she did see a couple of her friends helping out. The Charms were getting everyone at the ball who was innocent out of the ballroom, away from any danger. She also noticed that two of the Charms were up on the stage.

Chloe was still stuck to the floor. She had taken off her mask, revealing the mascara and eyeliner that had stained her cheeks as she cried out for help. The help she had received appeared to be a girl in a red panda costume.

Marinette continued to hear Nathanael’s screams. Where was he?!

Then, her eyes locked onto a bright purple light. That must have been it. Her eyes found a tall dark figure standing over someone. Someone wearing a kangaroo costume.

Marinette’s breath hitched in the back of her throat.

“Cover me!” she shouted to Chat. Adrien did exactly as he was told. He shoved the guards back, sending a few of them flying into the wall. Marinette took the opportunity to pull out her bow and notch an arrow. She let it fly.

The arrow stuck itself into the wall, inches away from hitting the dark figure. The figure looked back at her with a sneer, revealing to Ladybug that it was indeed the Game Master. At his feet, Nathanael was writhing in pain and screaming.

“Ladybug!” Adrien called to her, “Go help him! I’ll take care of the rest of the guards.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. She took off into a full sprint, running straight for their enemy. The Game Master anticipated this and swung his cane at her. She dodged it easily, rolling across the floor. Taking the bull by the horns, she slammed into the Game Master’s legs. Both she and the tall man hit the floor, rolling for a couple feet. The Game Master’s cane skittered away.

Adrenaline pulsed through her veins. She wasn’t going to let this man hurt her or any of her friends ever again! She had caused her so much pain, so much anguish, that she was barely able to contain her rage.

“You will never hurt me or my friends ever again!” she screamed and punched him in the face. “Your reign as the Game Master is over!”

“Never! I won’t let you steal my family away from me again!”

His words took Marinette off guard which was just enough time for him to kick her off of him and send her rolling across the floor. She coughed and gasped, trying to get the air back in her lungs. Black spots danced across her vision as she pulled herself up to her knees.

“Marinette!” she heard Adrien shout. She looked up just in time to see Chat tackle the Game Master just as she had done. Willing herself to get to her feet, she took off after her partner and joined the fight once more.

After much struggle and a couple well-timed punches, the two of them were able to pin the Game Master to the floor. Marinette held down his legs, pressing her full body weight against them in order to keep them shoved against the floor. It was hard in a dress, but she didn’t care. No matter what attire she wore, she wasn’t going to let the Game Master win. Adrien fought to hold down the Game Master’s shoulders. Surprisingly, their enemy wasn’t swinging fists at him, only pushing him back.

“I won’t let you hurt Marinette ever again!” Adrien shouted, pressing his knee into the Game Master’s chest. His fingers wrapped around the Game Master’s mask and he ripped it off. He tossed it aside, the silver mask skidding across the floor and stopping inches away from the stage.

The whole room fell silent. The Game Master quit struggling, no longer trying to kick his legs. Marinette took in a few heavy breaths, relieved that the fight was over. All around them, the Charms had circled around, their own weapons dropping as they stared at the Game Master. Marinette looked up at Adrien with a happy smile, but when she noticed that he was frozen to the spot, her smile faded.

“F-father?” he choked out.

Marinette scrambled to her feet. Sure enough, Gabriel Agreste was scowling up at his son. He clenched his fist and purple light sparked from his gloves. Nathanael screamed again. Marinette watched in horror as he violently shook on the floor, and then was forced to his feet by the purple energy that surrounded him.

“What did you do to him?” Marinette demanded, rushing to his side. She tried to touch him, but his skin was too hot to even get close to.

“It doesn’t matter, there’s nothing you can do about it now,” Gabriel responded angrily, then shoved Chat off of him. Adrien didn’t protest to anything as he hit the floor as limp as a rag doll.

Nathan wailed. Marinette didn’t know what to do as the purple energy enveloped him completely. She was forced to take a few steps back. With a defiant scowl, she turned back to the Game Master, who was now on his knees.

“Let him go!” LB shouted, then punched Gabriel across the face. Well, she tried to. He dodged her attack and shoved her aside. She hit the floor hard, landing next to Adrien, as the Game Master got to his feet.

“He’s mine now, always has been.” He straightened his purple and black suit, then threw out his hand. “Just like the rest of you!”

From out of his sleeve, a bunch of purple darts shot out in all directions. Chat and Ladybug cried out as one impaled themselves into each of their arms. Marinette screamed, pain filling her every thought. She crumpled to the floor, her strength leaving her. This was worse than when she had been trapped in the fire. She could almost feel the flames eating her flesh.

She couldn’t focus, could barely even breathe. Forcing her eyes to look down at her arm, she noticed something in the dart. Etched in with purple energy was a ladybug. This must have been how Nathanael had been taken over.

Marinette wailed, trying to not black out from the endless torment. On top of the burning sensation, it was like her whole spine was ripping in half. The stab wound in her back flared in pain.

 _Just give up_ , she thought. _Just let everything go. You did the best you could._

In that moment, she could see everything she loved flash before her eyes. Her parents smiling down at her as they embraced in a hug. Alya laughing and smiling as she talked with Nino. Nathanael carrying her through red flames. And finally, Adrien. Though she couldn’t tell if he was wearing a mask or not, Marinette didn’t care. She didn’t know it at the time, but she sunk to the floor.

She gladly relived his lips against hers.

*** * ***

Adrien’s eyes watered with tears as he screamed.

_I can’t do it anymore, I can’t keep going! I can’t keep fighting!_

He saw his father and his mother all smiling at him. They had their arms outstretched to him, calling out to him. Adrien’s mother, dressed in a beautiful peacock dress he had seen somewhere before, personally outstretched her hand.

 _“Come home, Adrien,”_ she offered, her voice sweet and relaxing.

“M-mom…?” He choked on his words though the pain.

Adrien couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. Even though his whole family was there, something - more like someone - was missing. Adrien’s attention shifted to the dress his mother wore. He sucked in a breath.

Marinette.

The pain intensified, but he didn’t care. He tried to pull himself into reality. His fingers dug into the floor, his knuckles turning white. In his mind, his father steps closer. His smile was something Adrien had only ever seen once. And even though it had been one time, it was enough to tell him that this wasn’t real.

Anger surged through his veins. He did this. He did this to the only person he loved the most. And he was going to pay for his crimes.  

Adrien screamed, his voice strained and his face covered in tears. “ _Ladybug, fight!_ ”


	40. Chapter Forty:

##  **Chapter Forty:**

 

Marinette heard something. A voice? She couldn’t tell what it was. It sounded like it was echoing down a long tunnel, it’s meaning lost in the darkness. Did it matter, though? She was already happy. She was in Adrien’s arms… She could touch, smell, and sense him holding her close like he’d never let her go ever again. Everything was as it should be… 

_ Stand up _ , Adrien whispered in her ear.  _ You have to protect yourself from the enemy. And in return, I’ll reward you. _

She did as she was told. 

*** * ***

The Game Master laughed as he scanned the amount of Charms that had fallen to his persuasion. It had actually worked! He now had control of all of the Miraculous Game Charms! The Charm he smiled the broadest at was Ladybug. She was the first one to get to her feet and look at him for instructions. 

Oh, it was magnificent! Her eyes glowed with the purple energy and her dress shimmered silver. Gabriel couldn’t wait to see what he could do with her. What a perfect pawn. 

Around the room, the rest of the Charms were starting to get to their feet. Soon, all twenty-four of them were standing at attention and awaiting instruction. The only one that was still struggling was Adrien. 

Gabriel stared down at his son, silently pleading that he take up the offer. His had been the one he had worked the hardest on. He wanted to give Adrien the best he could, and this was one of the only ways he knew how to. If he could numb his son to the pains of the world, maybe then everything could work out. Adrien would understand why he was doing this. 

Gabriel took a couple steps toward his son. Adrien still struggled against the purple energy, screaming and crying. Purple bolts of lightning shot out of his body. Gabriel dropped down to his knees, knowing that if Adrien kept fighting, the energy could possibly kill him instead of help him. 

“Adrien, please, listen to me,” Gabriel said. “Everything is going to be okay. I’m doing this to help you.” 

Adrien had barely enough energy to look up into his father’s eyes. In his green eyes, Gabriel saw how broken he was. If he didn’t give in soon, death was imminent. The Game Master pleaded with him, resting a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. 

“Son, I know what’s best.  _ Please _ , trust me with this.” 

His son couldn’t say anything through the pain. He only glared up at his father, until, just as Gabriel predicted, his expression softened. The Game Master was about to smile, but just then, Adrien’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. Gabriel gasped and was barely able to catch his son’s head before it hit the floor. 

“A-Adrien?” he said, his voice cracking. He gently rested his head in his lap and ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s going to be alright… I promise…” 

He didn’t realize it at the time, but Gabriel hadn’t said that to help his son. It was to calm himself. 

Ladybug appeared beside him. The Game Master looked up at her, only to find her expression emotionless and blank. She was awaiting instruction, as were the rest of the Charms. Gabriel took a deep breath, set his son’s head down onto the floor as gently as he could, then got to his feet. He straightened his suit. It was time to put on his leader mask. 

“Search the area,” he ordered. “Look for anyone that might-” 

Something slammed into his chest. The next thing he knew, Gabriel was flat on his back with someone on his chest pinning him down. He coughed and gasped, trying to get air into his lungs. As he did so, he looked up at the person. His throat closed and his heart stopped. 

It was a woman. Blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, appearing as though it had been freshly washed. She wore a blue and green costume, similar to the one Ladybug wore before he had taken control of her, except it wasn’t a dress. It was like a spandex suit covered in feathers that accentuated the most flattering parts of her. She glared down at him, her bright green eyes piercing his. He hadn’t seen those green eyes in years. 

“Don’t you dare hurt my son like that ever again!” she shouted. 

He was too stunned to say anything. 

She slapped him. “Gabriel,” she orders, “give up this fight and let the children go.” 

The Game Master melted. “P-peacock, I can’t believe you’re-”

“Now, Moth!”

He froze, shocked at her response, then hardened his expression. “There isn’t anything I can do now.” 

She tightened her grip on her husband. “What is that supposed to mean?” 

“It means I can’t change them back,” Gabriel answered, voice cold. “They’re under my control now. There’s no freeing them.” 

Then, he punched Peacock. She stumbled back in surprise, only to be kicked in the side. “How dare you show your face,” Gabriel muttered, his anger boiling in his veins. “You left me to raise a son that was a failure!”

“You wanted Adrien just as much as I did, so don’t you dare place the blame on him.”

“You lied to me!” Gabriel smacked her across the face. “You left me to run a country and raise a son all on my own!” 

“You were destroying our country whether I was there or not,” Peacock snapped, getting to her feet and raising her fists. “I told you it was a bad idea, I told you to get rid of the Miraculous Games altogether!” She swung her fist, but it’s blocked by Gabriel. 

“That doesn’t excuse the fact that you left me!” He attempted to knee her in the gut, but she moved out of the way just in time. “I had no clue what to do. I had to run the country, keep up good appearances, as well as raise a son!”

“It was your own fault for that,” Peacock rebutted. “You’re the one who didn’t listen to me. You made your own life hard, and there was nothing I could have done to stop that.”

“You could have stuck around and helped me!” 

“You wouldn’t have listened to me, you know that.” She attacked again and this time was able to kick him in the face. He fell to the ground, groaning and coughing. 

“I loved you and I was trying to protect you,” he said, pulling himself up onto his knees. 

Peacock circled him. “And I was trying to protect our son. I didn’t think you understood what love was so I left you to help you learn that. Adrien is your son, your family, Gabriel. You needed to learn that he loved you, that he was trying to reach your high standards as well as staying true to himself.” She gestured to her son as she walked toward him and knelt next to him. “By starting up the Miraculous Games, the one thing I told you not to do, he was forced to choose for himself.” She placed a hand on her chest. “He used my example of choosing you during our Miraculous Games to know what to do during his. He felt so oppressed under your rules and expectations that he needed an escape. And you know where that escape was?” She got to her feet and raised her chin defiantly. “It was in the Games with Ladybug. He chose someone instead of you choosing one for him. Do you think he didn’t know that you had twisted the competition?” 

Gabriel was taken off guard by her speech. He took a couple steps back and shook his head. “I didn’t want him to fail. I just didn’t want him to end up like me, alone and struggling to keep things from falling apart.”

“And yet, he followed in our footsteps.” Peacock hardened her gaze and clenched her fists. “I helped him along every step of the way. I gave him the clue where to find your secret facility. I turned off the power in the arena. I helped him in and out without being spotted by your cameras. Face it, Gabriel. You can’t force Adrien to do anything. You can only assist and warn him.” 

The Game Master squeezed his eyes shut, then dropped to one knee and started to cry. “I only wanted to have my family back together again.” He looks up at her and pleads. “Please, you have to believe me. Forgive me…” 

Peacock rested her clenched fists on her hips. “It doesn’t matter if I do or not. And I’m not the one you need to be apologizing to.” 

Gabriel shifted his tearful gaze to his son, who was sprawled on the floor in a lifeless heap. Knowing in his heart that it won’t be enough, he clenched his fists and pounded the floor. 

“I’m sorry, Adrien! I didn’t mean to hurt you, I promise! I just…” He choked on his tears. “I just wanted the best for you… I wanted you to get the best companion you could, so you didn’t have to go through the same grueling process your mother and I had.” He looks up at his son’s limp form. “I love you, Adrien… Please, forgive me. I am so sorry…” 

Even though he had said the apologies, nothing changed. The Charms were still closing in around them. 

Gabriel started to panic. “There’s no way out of here.” 

Peacock let out a sigh and lowered her shoulders. She held out a hand. 

“Yes, there is. We need to fight back.” 

“Fight back? I… I don’t think that would be the smartest idea.” 

“Does it matter? We might as well go down in a fight.” 

Gabriel’s eyes widened. He knew those words. Peacock winked at him, then pulled him up to his feet. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning around and raising her fists. 

“I know how to take them down, even though you might not.” 

Gabriel’s eyebrows furrowed. “Wait, what? I was the one who invented them, and if I don’t know how to beat them, how do you?” 

“Because I was there when you made them.”

He turned his head to look at her. “What?”

“I told you, I was helping Adrien. To do so, I hid in your facility and kept an eye on your activities.” 

“You spied on me?” 

Peacock rolled her eyes. “If that’s what you want to call it, yes.” 

“Then why didn’t you stop me earlier?” 

“Because I knew it wasn’t the right time. I couldn’t have revealed myself until you were ready to see me.” 

Gabriel didn’t respond with words, only a sigh and he raised his fists. “Okay, so, how do we defeat them?” 

She smirked. “We need to take the Acute Conscious Unwired Mechanisms out of them.” 

“You mean the A.C.U.Ma’s?”

“Obviously.” She stood her ground and scanned the Charms as she speaks. “Once we take the darts out of their arms, that should release the energy from coursing through them, thus letting them go.”

“Well, since you know more than I do, even though I created them, I’ll follow your lead.”

She smiled at him. “That’s my Hawkmoth.” 

They charged. 


	41. Chapter Forty-One:

##  **Chapter Forty-One:**

 

Peacock attacked, Hawkmoth following not far behind. 

She rushed toward Ladybug, and as she did so, she reached behind her and pulled off the feathers that had been attached to her hip. With a snap of her wrist, the feathers extended into a shield. She slammed into Ladybug full force and the poor girl fell to the floor. She snarled up at Peacock, but before she could attack, Gabriel pulled the dart out of her arm. 

“I’m sorry, Ladybug,” he said, then pocketed the dart. She only glared at him and kicked his knees. With a cry, Moth crumpled to the floor, but Peacock swiped her shield across her head. 

“Why is it not working?” Moth asked and turned to face the others. 

“I’m not sure. Maybe we have to take each of the darts out one-by-one. They might be feeding off of each other,” Peacock answered, pressing her back against his again. 

“Are you telling me that we have to defeat all of these Charms at once?”

She glanced back at him and raised an eyebrow. “You’re the one who created them. What do you think?” 

He scowled and clenched his fists tighter. “Let’s do this.” He swung his fist. It connected with one of the Charms and they flew backward. Peacock smirked and followed his example. 

Kick, swing, duck, throw.

For the first time in forever, Gabriel felt alive. He could feel adrenaline rushing through his veins. It flushed all of the anger away, and he even caught himself smiling every once and awhile. He hadn’t seen Peacock in years and yet, here she was, throwing punches at teenagers. 

Hmm. He probably could have come up with a better date night than this. 

As he fought, his mind flashed back to the day she had left. He had been in his office, filing bills and organizing designs for the upcoming Miraculous Games. As he had been stacking files, the door had opened. Peacock had stepped inside, her head held high as she closed the door. He still remembered what she had worn. A white shirt, blue jeans, and black flats. He could even see her hair, falling out of the ponytail at the back of her head. 

_ “Gabriel, we need to talk.” _

_ “Ah, you were just the person I wanted to see,” _ he had said, shutting the filing cabinet’s drawer.  _ “I wanted to ask you about the scenery. Should we place it in a desert or a swamp this year?” _

Peacock sighed.  _ “That’s why I came, Gabriel. I think it’s time we stop the games.” _

He had stopped, turned to face her, and stared like she had crawled out of a hole.  _ “Stop the games?”  _

“It’s only hurting people,” she insisted.  _ “And I don’t want Adrien going through the same pain we did. We lost friends, Moth. Don’t you remember that?”  _

Gabriel had cast his gaze to the floor. It had been years since he had thought about them, and yet, they had popped into his mind’s eye as if it had happened only yesterday. The blood on his hands, the sneering Charms that had attacked him… 

_“Yes, I remember. But I have to, Renee.”_ **_(Pronounced Reh-Nay)_**

She set her jaw.  _ “No, you don’t, Gabriel.” _

_ “Yes, I do!”  _ he had insisted. He had placed a hand over his heart.  _ “I have a duty to this country, to keep its traditions and support its values. The Miraculous Games are a key part of our history.”  _

_ “And you don’t think I know that?” _ Renee walked around his desk and rested her hands on his shoulders.  _ “You competed for my hand. I was trained since I was a young girl to rule the country with a man by my side.” _ She paused and looked down at the floor.  _ “Gabe, I don’t want our son to have to fill those shoes. It was hard enough for me, and I don’t want him to go through the same afflictions. The pressure was almost unbearable.” _

Gabriel had shaken his head, almost amused by her concerns.  _ “Don’t worry, Renee. Our son will be able to handle it. Besides, he’s passed all of the training and classes with flying colors.”  _

Renee shook her head.  _ “But can’t you see how stressed he is? Taking on the burden of becoming President scares him.”  _

He had laughed out loud.  _ “Scares him? That’s absurd. He’ll just grow into it, like you and I have.” _ He pulled away from her embrace and had walked over to the other side of the desk, picking up a folder.  _ “Anyway, as I was saying before, I’m thinking about putting the games in a swamp this year. I know that it’s kind of overused, but Game Master Fu thinks that-” _

_ “Gabriel, I don’t care!” _ Renee shouted. He had stopped, shocked by her outburst. She sighed heavily and stalked around the desk toward the door.  _ “Our son deserves a better life than running Miraculous Games and collecting taxes.”  _ She turned her head to look at him, he green eyes fierce.  _ “We need to stop the bloodshed and let him choose who he wants to marry.”  _

Gabriel had stopped, the papers slipping out of his hand and slipping all over the floor. And that was when he wished he could turn back time. His gaze had hardened, glaring at Peacock. 

_ “Are you telling me that you never wanted to marry me in the first place?”  _

Her eyes widened, realizing what she had said.  _ “Gabriel, no, that’s not what-” _

_ “Are you saying that you’ve been playing me this whole time? That you’ve been using me as your puppet?”  _

She shook her head.  _ “Gabe, no! I would never-” _

_ “You’re lying!”  _ He had stalked over to her and gripped her wrist.  _ “You chose me because you wanted an easy puppet, didn’t you? You saved me because you knew that you could use me without me knowing!”  _

Renee pulled her arm away, rage flaring in her expression at the accusation.  _ “I’m not lying!” _ she shouted.  _ “I’m just trying to protect our son!”  _

_ “Liar!” _ He had taken a step closer.  _ “You just want to twist my son!” _

She blanched, allowing a pause to hang in the air. _ “Your son?”  _

He had realized too late what he had said. He wished desperately that he could have said something else. Something other than what he had responded with, but he couldn’t live in the past… 

His angered expression had not cracked in the slightest.

_ “Yes.  _ **_My_ ** _ son.” _

Renee’s eyes narrowed. “You’re never going to force him into the Presidency, not while I’m here.” 

_ “Then leave.” _

His words had shocked her. They had even shocked him, but it would have been better if he had shut his mouth then. Yet, of course, he had kept talking. It was too late to change his words now. 

_ “Get out of this household. I can, and will, find ways to call your actions treasonous if you continue twisting my son.”  _

Peacock’s eyes welled up with tears, but she sucked in her emotion and held her head high.  _ “Fine. I will.” _ She turned her back to him and stalked toward the door. Before she had left, however, she lifted her head just slightly to mutter the words Gabriel had nightmares about for months after:

_ “If Adrien ever chooses to step out of line, just know that it wasn’t my fault.” _ She looked back and locked eyes with him.  _ “It was yours.” _

“Duck, Moth!” 

Gabriel snapped out of his daze and was just barely able to duck in time. The Charm’s attack missed him and set them off balance. He leaped into action and kicked them back. They hit the floor and rolled a couple feet. Peacock took up the opportunity and pulled the dart out of the young man’s arm. She smiled at him. 

“Nice reflexes.” 

He smiled at her in return. He had missed this. 

“Thanks, but we aren’t done yet.” He turned over his shoulder and pushed a Charm back. The girl was taken by surprise and stumbled back. With a swift movement, Moth struck her shoulder and pulled the dart out of her neck. She fell to the floor, moaning and trying to overcome his attack. 

“How many do we have left?” Gabriel shouted. 

“I… I can’t tell!” Peacock responded, ducking an attack. “I thought you got the last one. Who are we missing?” 

Hawkmoth scanned the Charms. He recognized a few of them, like Lila, Felix, and Aurora, but everyone seemed to have the A.C.U.Ma out of them. Peacock was right, who were they missing?

Then, Gabriel’s gaze landed on Adrien. He was still in a crumpled ball on the ballroom floor, but he didn’t realize until that moment that the A.C.U.Ma was still in his arm. His eyes widened. 

“Adrien has it!” he yelled. “If we could only-”

Peacock cried out in pain. Moth whirled around to see her pinned to the far wall by- who was that? Ivan? Whatever his name was, his meaty hand was gripping her shoulders. Peacock fought and thrashed, but it was no use.

“Renee! Hold on, I’m coming!” he shouted.

“No, go!”  

Gabriel didn’t move. He stood there, rooted to the ground in fear. “I-I can’t leave you!” 

“You have to!” 

The Charm holding her scowled, then gripped her around the neck. His vice grip cut off her Peacock’s air circulation and, due to his strength, he was able to lift her off the ground. As much as she tried to fight back, Peacock efforts weren’t enough. Her face started to turn blue. 

“Renee!” Hawkmoth cried out. He was about to break into a sprint, but her rasped words stopped him in his tracks. 

“N-no! Leave m-me!” She gasped for air then shouted, “ _ Save A-Adrien! _ ” 

Gabriel stopped. He… he didn’t know what to do. Should he save his wife or save his son? He glanced back and forth, the guilt weighing on him like the whole world was collapsing. Could he give up who he truly loved for the son he had deeply hurt? 

In that split second decision, Gabriel realized that he had to stop making the world do what he wanted. His son would never be like him because he wasn’t him. His wife wasn’t going to be perfect because, well, no one was. Even he couldn’t be the best Game Master for the Miraculous Games because he knew, deep down in his heart, that he wasn’t even supposed to be the Game Master. He had been trifling in matters that weren’t his own. 

Renee had been right. The Miraculous Games needed to stop. 

Turning on his heel, Gabriel bolted for his son. He pushed through the crowd of Charms, shoving them aside as if they were stuffed animals. He plowed his way through the ballroom, ignoring the decorations and everything he had worked for, because he knew it wasn’t what he wanted. What he truly wanted was behind him, fifty feet away, and in front of him, ten feet… five feet… 

He dropped to his knees and slid across the slick floor, stopping at Adrien’s body. Gabriel picked up his son’s arm, gripped the A.C.U.Ma tightly, then ripped it out. He scanned the room, waiting for some sign,  _ any _ sign that the Charms had been released. Nothing changed.

“Adrien,” he pleaded, turning his attention back down to his son. Tears started to prick at the edge of his eyes. “ _ Adrien! _ Son, can you hear me?!” 

Nothing changed. 

Just then, behind him, Gabriel heard something hit the floor. He whipped his head around toward the noise. His body physically collapsed in on itself in shock as his eyes landed on the motionless heap that was his wife. Blonde hair draped across the floor like an elegant blanket. And a few feet away, a blue, green, and turquoise mask lay in a wrinkled wad. The large Charm stood over her, triumphant in her downfall.

“Renee…” he whimpered. 

The tears fell. They landed on Gabriel’s purplish black pants, soaking into the fabric. In utter defeat, Gabriel pulled his son in close to him and closed his eyes. One sob. Three sobs. 

He didn’t know how long he sat there, hugging his motionless son in his arms and crying into his black suit. His knees hurt, his back hurt, but - most of all - his heart ached. In this cold world that he had created, he was left alone. The darkness around him felt a thick as moist mud. He couldn’t breathe. He was suffocating, his sobs and tears choking him. 

“How can we serve you, Hawkmoth?” 

Through bleary vision, he forced himself to look up. Above him, in a blue, green, and turquoise dress stood Peaco- no.  

Ladybug. 

Ladybug stood with her hands pressed to her sides like a soldier. Though her hair was a tangled mess, her dress was in pristine condition. Her pale face was emotionless and her bluebell eyes were empty. However, one single tear traced her jawline. Though she stared ahead like an empty shell, Gabriel could see the tear that ran from the crease of her eye to the tip of her chin. 

Hawkmoth took a deep breath. With as much effort as he could muster, he gently scooped Adrien into his arms and got to his feet. He could feel his knees buckling underneath the strain of holding both himself together and carrying his son, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t letting go. 

“I want you to come back, Ladybug. My son…” He closed his eyes tightly and bit his lip to keep himself from sobbing. “My son needs you… I thought I could give him everything he wanted, but I now know that happiness doesn’t work like that. No matter how much money can buy or how well you think you can control the lives of others, nothing is as priceless as the gift of happiness. And his happiness…” He forced himself to look into Ladybug’s beautiful, innocent, and pure eyes, “... is in you. He loves you, Ladybug, and I know you love him.” He paused, allowing his statement to linger in the air before finishing, “Save him, Marinette… Because I can’t.” 

He waited; feet planted, tears flowing, and guilt pulsing through his veins. 

Then, he watched as Ladybug, still emotionless, walked across the ballroom over to something that was laying on the floor. Her movements were like a robot, harsh yet anticipated. She bent down and picked it up. Without a second thought, she walked back over to him, the object firmly grasped in her hand. He saw, in shock, that it was his cane.

She stopped in front of him and held it out. Though he could tell she was under the A.C.U.Ma’s control, her bluebell eyes were flowing with tears. She took in a shaky breath, her voice cracking as she said: “Yes, you can.” 

Gabriel gawked at his cane. That was it. His cane connected everything. He hadn’t thought about it before, but it was so obvious now that he thought about it. The cane was what stored the A.C.U.Mas for so long, the energy must have made some sort of connection… 

Looking down at Adrien, his blond hair the equivalent to a mop and his skin the color of snow, Gabriel shook his head. 

“It’s too late for me… You need to do this, Ladybug. Thank you, for asking, I mean…” He turned his attention to her, waiting for her to move, but she didn’t. She stood there, her arms still outstretched holding the purple and silver cane. Hawkmoth sighed and shifted Adrien in his arms. 

“Alright… Ladybug, I order you to hold Adrien.” 

Ladybug did as she was told. The two of them exchanged the cane and Adrien. Gabriel was surprised at how well she could hold him up, but then again, she was A.C.U.Matized. Now that the cane was in his hands, he could feel his palms begin to sweat. Could he do this?

He glanced one last time at Adrien’s weak form, then over his shoulder to Peacock, who was still out cold on the ground. Gabriel set his jaw and clenched the cane with both hands. 

No more running. 

With an angry cry, he raised the cane above his shoulders and snapped it on his knee. Purple energy exploded in all directions. There was so much of it tingling in the air, the light turned to a reddish pink. In the crazy explosion, bolts of the energy zapped every kid who had been shot with an A.C.U.Ma. They all cried out in pain and fell to the floor. 

In the chaos, the Game Master stood still with two pieces of destroyed cane in both hands. As the light died down and disappeared, he let the pieces slip out of his hands. 

BANG. BANG. 

He closed his eyes, then suck to his knees. It was over. 

His fight was finished.


	42. Chapter Forty-Two:

##  **Chapter Forty-Two:**

 

Ladybug groaned and rubbed her head. What was going on? Why did her head hurt so much? She sat up, rubbing her temples and trying to get her bearings. Glancing around the room, she saw her friends and fellow Charms all moaning and getting up off of the floor. Wincing, Marinette gritted her teeth and grabbed her arm. Why did it feel like she had been stabbed?

As she looked down, she saw a pair of black and green ears to her left. She sucked in a breath and flicked her gaze toward them. No more than five feet away, Adrien lay motionless. 

“Adrien!” she exclaimed. 

She scrambled over to him, tripping over her dress, but she didn’t care. She scooped him up into her arms and brushed his bangs out of his face. 

“Adrien?  _ Adrien _ , can you hear me?” 

He didn’t respond with words, but with a long, painful moan. His eyes opened slightly, his green eyes dull in color. With much effort, he was able to lift the corner of his mouth into a smirk. 

“What a beauty to wake up to…” he muttered, voice raspy and exhausted.

Marinette’s eyes started to tear up. She pulled him closer as she said, “Oh, Adrien... I’m so glad you’re alive.”

He winced, but wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “I never would have left you, My Lady...” 

Marinette buried her head into his shoulder, desperately wishing that she never had to let go. They were okay. They were alive, safe, and - best of all - they won. 

“Marinette!” someone shouted. 

As reluctant as she was to let go, the urgency of the call was enough to make her pull away from their close embrace. Both she and Adrien looked over to see who had called her. Across the room, Alya and Nino were hunched over someone that was still sprawled on the floor. Marinette scanned the room, trying to count the Charms. She got up to twenty-two and realized that it was a Charm on the floor, but who? 

Shakily getting to her feet, glanced down at Adrien. He waved for her to go. Hesitantly, Marinette made her way over to her best friend. She was so used to seeing Alya happy that the desperation in her face alarmed her. As she got closer, she realized why. 

“Nathanael!” Marinette exclaimed. She dropped to her knees and scooped him up into her arms. Unlike Adrien, he didn’t moan or make any noise whatsoever. His form was weak and lifeless. She wrapped her hand around his cheek. 

“Nathan? Fox? Can you hear me?” 

He didn’t respond. She checked his pulse, her heart pounding in her ears. He had to be okay. He had to live. They had been through so much together. He couldn’t just be gone. She had so many things she had to make up to him. She had played him, the guilt of that weighing her down, and she wanted to repay him, to apologize, something! He had so many things to do, to accomplish, and to achieve. He had to return home and talk to his parents about their crazy adventure. He had to submit an art piece depicting his Miraculous Games experience. He couldn’t just be… 

She felt nothing. 

Desperately, she pressed her ear to his chest. No heartbeat. No breath. 

He was gone. 

Tears welled up in her eyes and she bit her lip. The loss hurt so much more than any electric dart someone could throw at her. She couldn’t hear anyone else around her, it was as if they weren’t even there. It was only her and Nathanael… 

As much as she didn’t want to, tears slipped out of the corners of her eyes and she began to sob. He had been here for her every step of the way and protected her from some of the worst enemies. And yet… she had thrown it away as if it was nothing. As much as she loved Adrien, the loss of one of her best friends was enough to tear her apart. She began to wail, clutching Nathanael’s body as tightly as she could. She could feel hands on her shoulders trying to pull her away, but she fought back, screaming at them to leave her alone. 

There had to be some way to fix this. Something had to bring him back to life. He couldn’t just be gone. He had sacrificed almost everything for her, there had to be something she could do. 

Then, something clicked in her mind. Tith a deep scowl, she set his body down and got to her feet. It wasn’t until that moment did she realize that there were several people standing around her. Alya was there, so was Nino, but so were all of the other charms. They all had tears in their eyes and their heads were bowed. The feuds that had been there before were stripped away. Lila openly cried in Ivan’s arms. Felix was trying to comfort Kim. Max was holding Sabrina. Even Chloe was crying. Her bee mask was clenched in her right hand and blue tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Marinette saw all of this in the blink of an eye. She didn’t react to it; she merely turned over her shoulder and marched toward one person in particular. She passed Adrien, who was getting to his shaky feet. 

“M-Marinette?” he asked, but she ignored him. He wasn’t who she was after. 

She stopped in front of Gabriel Agreste, who was holding a woman in a blue and green peacock costume, and put her hands on her hips. Though Gabriel didn’t acknowledge her at first, he eventually got the strength to tilt his head toward her. 

“What do you want?” he asked. 

“Bring him back,” Marinette demanded. 

Gabriel shook his head. “I can’t. It’s too late.” 

“I won’t accept that answer.” 

He sighed and glanced down at the woman. “Sometimes we need to let things go, Ladybug.” 

“But he’s my friend and I’m not going to just leave him! Bring him back, NOW!”

The woman in his arms winced. Her eyes cracked open just enough to see the beautiful green shaded orbs through her lashes. Her blonde hair was all in her face, and she lifted a hand to move it, but Gabriel brushed it aside for her. 

“W-what’s going…?” 

“Everything’s okay,” Gabriel assured. 

“No, it's not!” Marinette shouted. “Nathanael is dead because of you, and I want him back!” 

“Marinette, calm down.” Marinette looked over to see Adrien standing next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder and used her as a support. “Everything is going to be okay.”

Marinette shook her head and turned it away. “No, it won't. Nathan is gone and all you guys are telling me is that it will be okay. One of whom who started the problems in the first place!”

Just then, Adrien froze. It was like had just noticed the woman in his father’s lap. He looked between her and his father. 

“Mom…?” His expression turned into a glare and he stared Gabriel down. “Did you hurt her?!”

Gabriel shook his head, not lifting his head. “No, she got hurt in the fight to win you guys back.”

Adrien’s face didn't change in the slightest. He took an angry step forward. “If you hurt my mother-”

“Adrien,” his mom said, pulling herself up into a sitting position, as much as Gabriel tried to baby her. “Your father is telling the truth. We fought the rogue Charms together, so please… don’t yell at each other.” 

Her words calmed him a little bit, but Adrien still glared daggers at his dad as he stepped away. 

“Fine. Even if that’s true, I think you owe Marinette an apology.” 

Gabriel sighed. “I’ve already done so, Adrien.” 

Marinette dropped down onto one knee and grabbed President Agreste by the color of his dark purple shirt. “I don’t care how many apologies you give me, I want Nathanael brought back. You’re the one who shot the dart into him. How to we bring him back?” 

He held up his hands, leaning back as far as his shirt would let him. “I don’t know, Ladybug. Please, why don’t you let go of me and we can talk like civilized people?” 

Marinette only scowled and tightened her grip. “You’re lying to me! Tell me how to fix him, Game Master!” 

“I honestly don’t know!” 

Adrien pulled the two apart. “Knock it off, fighting like this won’t help us.” He turned on Marinette and gripped both of her shoulders. “Marinette, please, take a deep breath.” 

She pulled away from him, taking big steps backward. She just stared at him, shaking her head. 

“You don’t understand, do you?” 

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows. “Understand what?”

Her eyes started to water again, though she didn’t try to stop the tears from flowing. “How much Fox meant to me. He was my only connection to home when I was in a life-or-death situation! He was there when you weren’t, Chat! I let him down and now he’s dead!” 

With a defeated sob, she turned over her shoulder and broke into a sprint. 

“Marinette, wait!” Adrien shouted, but she didn’t listen. 

The whole world bent around her. She ran past the grieving Charms, not even risking a glance toward them. She knew she would break down even more if she saw his body again. She ran for the immediate exit, needing to get away as fast as she possibly could. She couldn’t stay there any longer. 

Marinette threw open the doors. Outside, reporters and policemen were questioning the party guests. When she burst into the scene, everyone turned to look at her. Then, cameras began to flash. She froze for a split second, taken aback by the flashes, before she took off like a bullet. She didn’t want anyone to see how broken she was. 

She bolted down the front steps. Wind whipped through her hair. The breeze dried her tears, but more only replaced them. 

_ Nathanael, I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to- _

She was cut off when, halfway down the giant steps, her foot caught in a layer of her huge, peacock dress. 

SLAM!

She hit the stairs, her chin smacking hard on one of the steps. She let out a cry of pain, which only spiraled her into a fit of uncontrollable sobs. Her body ached all over as it was - now her chin more than most - and with the intense grief holding her down, she couldn’t get up. She could only lay there sobbing while party guests, reporters, and the police force alike surrounded her. She could hear them asking questions - “Are you alright?”, “Do you need any help?”, “What happened?” - but she couldn’t focus on any single one of them. Her mind was already a jumbled mess.

Ladybug curled up into a ball, buried her head in her hands, and openly wept. 

_ Please,  _ she mentally pleaded to nobody in particular,  _ bring him back. _


	43. Chapter Forty-Three:

##  **Chapter Forty-Three:**

 

Adrien walked inside the Agreste Mansion, his shoulders sagging and his head hanging low. His limbs were screaming at him to stop moving and to rest, even if it was just for a minute. Closing the giant doors behind him, Adrien slumped against them and slid to the floor. 

She was nowhere. 

He and the Charms had searched the entire city and yet, somehow, Marinette had been able to get away. He thought he would have been able to catch her, but apparently, she had even gotten away from the reporters. 

The headlines they had posted broke Adrien’s heart right in half, but not as much as the pictures they featured. The headlines either read, “Ladybug Missing?” or “Ladybug Escapes After Showdown!” or “Gabriel Agreste: Murderer and Kidnapper?”. It depended on the site or news station. But the pictures… 

Adrien squeezed his eyes closed. They were burned into his memory. He couldn’t imagine why the reporters and press thought it would be perfectly fine to take pictures of a broken girl. He could see it in his mind’s eye as clear as day; blueish black hair sprawled across the marble steps, a blue peacock dress ripped at the bottom and across the shoulder, a bloody and bleeding chin, and - to top it off - a trembling body curled up into a ball. 

“Did you find her?” 

Adrien snapped out of his trance and opened his eyes. Standing at the top of the stairs, Nino was looking down at his friend, his eyes full of worry. 

Adrien dropped his gaze again. “No… There hasn’t been any sign of her.” 

Nino sighed. “Well, the press has been trying to get into the mansion for the past couple hours searching for answers. We’ve been barely able to keep them at bay. I’m surprised you were able to get inside.” 

He shrugged. “It took a lot of pushing and shoving, but still, here I am.” Adrien yawned and rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?” 

Nino pulled out his phone. “It’s almost ten in the morning.” His eyes widened. “Bro, did you stay up  _ all night _ ?”

Adrien didn’t respond to the question. He merely dropped his head and rested it between his legs, his blond hair hanging down across his face.

“Dude, you need to get to bed,” Nino insisted, coming down the stairs and kneeling next to his friend. “You can’t keep functioning like a machine.” 

“But I need to find her,” he said with a forlorn expression. “I… I can’t give up.” 

“You won’t be giving up on her, I promise, buddy.” He placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “If anything, getting some much-needed rest will help rejuvenate you. You can go searching for her tonight.” 

After a long moment, Adrien nodded. With some effort, Nino was able to get his friend to his feet. He patted him on the back reassuringly, and was about to lead him up the stairs when someone said:

“Nino, can I talk to Adrien for a minute, please?” 

Both boys looked over toward Gabriel’s office doors. Adrien’s mother was standing in the doorway, giving Adrien a loving smile. Nino immediately unhooked his arm from his friend’s shoulders and nodded. 

“Of course, Mrs. Agreste.” 

Adrien watched his friend walk away before sighing and hanging his head. “I know, Mom… I was out for too long and I didn’t come home when I told you…” 

His mother walked up to him and, unlike what he was used to, she enveloped him in a hug. He stood there in shock for a moment, then he finally melted. Before he could do or say anything, his mother spoke. 

“It doesn’t matter that you came home late right now. I’m just relieved that you’re home safe. I know you’ve been really worried recently, and it isn’t my place to judge your choices.” She pulled away just enough to cup his cheek in her hand. “I trust your judgment.” 

The overwhelming love finally hit him and Adrien started to cry. He threw his arms around his mother and bawled into her shoulder. It had been forever since he had received that kind of support before. And with Marinette missing… 

“Shh… It’s going to be okay, Adrien. I promise.” She ran her fingers through his hair, taking out the cat ears that were still lodged in his hair. 

“But she’s gone, Mom. I couldn’t find her anywhere, no one could!”

“It might take some time for her to come out, honey. I know it’s hard, but I think that if you give her some space, she’ll come out eventually.” 

Adrien shook his head and pulled away. “No, no I can’t just leave her. You waited for dad to change, but he didn’t. You had to step in before anyone got hurt.” He straightened his shoulders and wiped his nose on his sleeve. “I’m going to find her before she gets hurt. The news is already taking this too far… I…” He started to tremble, choking on a sob. “I brought this upon her, all of this stress… I have to be the one to fix it.” 

His mother put her hands on his shoulders. “Adrien, as much as I believe you, you need to get some sleep before you’re completely overwhelmed. You can continue your search after you get some much-needed rest, okay?” 

He shut his eyes tightly and turned away. “Marinette is worth more to me than sleep.” 

“But your body needs it. It can’t keep functioning like this.” She sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want you to leave, you just need to be in the proper shape. Get some rest. I’ll inform Master Fu that you’re home safe.” 

She turned to walk away, but Adrien looked back at her. “Mom?”

She looked back, her green eyes soft. “Yes?” 

“Do you know what’s going to happen once we do find her?”

His mom paused, her gaze shifting to the floor as she thought. “I don’t know, sweetheart. I wish I could tell you, but with all of the tension surrounding your father, I don’t know.” 

Adrien rubbed his arm. “Is… is Father going to be okay?” 

Another long pause rested between the two of them. When he figured his mother wouldn’t answer, Adrien turned away. He was about to leave, but Renee’s words echoed around the room. 

“No, honey… I can’t hide the truth from you.” 

Furrowing his eyebrows, Adrien turned. His mother was looking up at the painting that hung above the stairs - the one of Gabriel and Adrien. Her voice wobbled as she spoke. 

“Adrien, your father is facing death for his crimes... It’s unlikely, if even possible at all, that he’ll be coming home. As much as I love him and want us to have a normal life, it’s not going to happen.” She bit her lip and looked away from the dark wash painting. “He’s either going to spend the rest of his life in prison or be executed.” 

The weight of her confession hung on Adrien’s chest like a sack of bricks. Was his father going to die? As much as he disliked with how his father treated him, Ladybug, and the rest of the Charms, did he really deserve to die? 

“Thanks, Mom… you know, for telling me.”

She nodded, but before she could say anything, Nathalie stepped out of the office. “Renee, the mayor from district two is on the phone for you.” 

His mother waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll be there in a minute, thank you.”

The secretary nodded, then closed the door to the office. Adrien didn’t even turn back, he just continued on his walk up the stairs. 

“Adrien?”

He stopped, then glanced over his shoulder. His mom was standing in the office’s doorway, giving him a small smile. 

“I love you, sweetheart. Get some sleep, okay?”

After a moment, he nodded, then trudged toward his room. As he walked up the second flight of stairs, he heard the door to the office close. A silence settled into the empty room, but it didn’t give Adrien any sense of peace. His mind was running a thousand miles an hour. He felt so awake mentally, but his body was desperately pleading with him to rest. He knew it would be a longshot, but he was going to obey. 

Maybe some sleep would do him some good. 

*** * ***

“Ladybug?” 

Silence. 

“Marinette, can you hear me?”

No response. 

“Please, Marinette! Where are you?” 

Adrien stumbled through the darkness, searching in all directions. She had to be here somewhere. It wasn’t like she had disappeared like a magician. He scanned the horizon, desperately trying to spot anything that would be remotely appeared to be her. There was nothing. 

“Mari!” he shouted into the empty blackness. The only response he received was a harsh, cold breeze. 

Then, his surroundings began to change. The darkness slowly faded away, turning into color - almost like a watercolor painting was dribbling into existence. Tall trees of green stretched into the sky and the light green and yellow grass under his orange sneakers came to life. The cold wind blew the tall meadow grass, causing it to wave from side to side. With wide eyes, Adrien took in the scenery. 

He knew this place. 

“Mari!” he shouted again, this time scanning the trees at the edge of the meadow. 

He closed his eyes as he strained his ears to listen, gritting his teeth to see if he could hear anything but chirping birds. Something was there, he could hear it… Sniffling? His eyes shot open and he spun around. 

In front of him, a giant silver structure stood in the center of the field. The Cataclysmacopia, the building that he now knew by heart. How he didn’t notice it before, he didn’t know. He cautiously made his way toward the gaping mouth of the cat.

“Marinette? Are you in here?” 

He gently peeked inside, looking around one of the sharp, pointed metal teeth. There, on the ground at the very back of the open maw of the cat, was Marinette. Her knees were curled up into her chest, her arms wrapping around them as she sobbed. Her face was buried somewhere in her ripped peacock dress. Her once perfectly curled hair was unruly and full of knots. 

“Ladybug?” Adrien said, though it was almost as though he were asking himself the question. 

He stepped inside the cat’s open mouth, making his way over to her, when the whole floor started to move. From the center of the room, a lump in the metal floor rose up like a weird bubble. Adrien grabbed onto one of the metal teeth, but the next thing he knew, the metal teeth chomped down. He cried out in surprise, then tripped on the writhing lump. It wasn’t until it lifted off the floor did Adrien realize what it was. 

A tongue. 

The silver structure tilted, which made Adrien stumble and he screamed. The tongue wrapped around him and sent him flying into the air for a few seconds. He landed on the metal lump, causing the whole thing start oozing slime. At the back of the room, next to Ladybug, the wall opened up. It looked like a throat, uvula and all, ready to swallow Adrien whole.

“Marinette!” he shouted, hoping to get her attention, but he didn’t. It was as if she was in an entirely different universe than him, unaware that the Cataclysmacopia was alive. His hands were slipping on the bizarre slime so he couldn’t firmly grip anything. The metal tongue tipped up, and Adrien started to slide. 

He gritted his teeth and tried to dig his fingers into the metal. It didn’t work, he merely kept on slipping. With a terrified scream, Adrien lost his grip and slid straight down the monster’s throat. His whole world turned dark. 


	44. Chapter Forty-Four:

##  **Chapter Forty-Four:**

 

Adrien sat bolt upright in his bed. He was breathing hard, his forehead sweating. His clothes were soaked in sweat as well. Gripping his head, Adrien pulled his knees close to his chest and tried to calm down. As he did so, he attempted to pull himself back into the real world. There was no metal tongue, no slimy throat, and… and no Marinette.

Lifting his head, he glanced around the room. His windows were still blocked by his curtains, making the room darker than it should have been at… What time was it? Adrien glanced over at his alarm clock. In its green lettering, it read 4:37 pm. He let out a heavy sigh and dropped his hands. Why did he just lay in his bed and sleep for six hours when he could have been searching for Marinette. She had looked so distressed in his dreams that he couldn’t-

His heart stopped. His whole body froze - breathing, heartbeat, everything - except for one, single thought: The Arena. 

Then, it was like some had pressed play. He leapt out of bed, scooped up his shoes and t-shirt, and raced for the door. After a quick turn, the door flew open and Adrien emerged. He turned the corner, his socks sliding on the marble floor, and he almost ran into Nino, but he didn’t care. 

“Dude, what are you doing?” 

Adrien ignored his question and just kept running - down the stairs, around another corner, and straight toward the front door. As he hit the landing, he threw on his t-shirt. Just as he was about to open the door, someone called to him. 

“Adrien?” 

Adrien turned and saw his mother standing outside of her office, giving him a worried look. He slipped on his shoes and ignored her, not even caring to tie the laces. 

“Adrien, what is going on?” she asked again, stepping further into the entryway.

Adrien glanced up at her, his expression full of panic and urgency. “I’m going to the Arena.” 

Before he could let his mom react, he swung open the door and broke into a sprint. At full speed, he hit the front gate and shoved it open. He didn’t wait for it to fully open, he dashed between the gap just big enough for him to fit through. And from there, he was off. 

The city was busy, like it usually was. The oddly dressed people wandered the streets, window shopping, walking to dinner, or on their way home from work. The sun was setting just behind the skyscrapers, casting its last remaining light on the metal structures. 

Adrien didn’t care about any of this. He just ran through the crowds, pushing and shoving his way through if he had to. A lot of people complained, but he ignored them. He knew where he needed to go, and he was going to get there as fast as he possibly could. 

In his pocket, something vibrated. He didn’t realize until that moment that he had fallen asleep with his phone in his pocket. As he waited for the pedestrian light to turn, he pulled it out and glanced down at the screen. It was full of notifications that he hadn’t looked at since he had fallen asleep. He started at the bottom and scrolled up.

**_ALYA:_ ** _ LB isn’t anywhere in our part of town. Sorry :( _

**_ROSE:_ ** _ I am so sorry Adrien, but she wasn’t in our part of town. We tried looking… _

**_JULEKA:_ ** _ Mari = Gone _

**_IVAN:_ ** _ No sign of her from Mylene and I. We’re joining up with the others to see…  _

**_LILA:_ ** _ ladybugs gone _

**_FELIX:_ ** _ Nothing.  _

**_CHLOE:_ ** _ lmao adrikins, ladybugs gone lol its OK srsly _

Adrien’s mood was slowly falling - Chloe’s text didn’t help - and his most recent text didn’t lift his spirits any higher.

**_NINO:_ ** _ Bro, where’d you go? Your moms almost in tears. _

Sighing, he shoved his phone into his pocket and turned his attention to the light. He couldn’t think about all of that right now. After all, he was just about to solve everything. The light turned and before anyone could step off of the sidewalk, Adrien pushed past them and continued running. 

Only one question bounced around in his mind: Would he get there in time?

*** * ***

Out of breath, Adrien bent over onto his knees and sucked in as much air as he could. He had just run almost all the way across the city without stopping - except for when the pedestrian signs told him not to. He wasn’t that crazy. After all of that running, he had finally stopped in front of the secret bunker he had discovered a while back, thanks to his father’s loose security when it came to the Miraculous Games. 

The bunker wasn’t much, just a small building that could have gotten away as an old, rundown store that went out of business a thousand years ago, at least, that’s what Adrien thought. The sun had officially set, making the tension inside of Adrien swell just over the comfortable level. He was on edge, tense if you will. Part of him wanted to run inside while the other half of him wanted to wait outside and be a little bit more cautious. He compromised and opened the front door to the store open. 

The door creaked as it swung, echoing around the empty room. Adrien knew this abandoned building like the back of his hand, and there was already one thing very off. 

The store’s door had been open. 

Adrien stepped inside, glancing around for anything else that was out of place. He stopped, his heartbeat picking up speed. The hidden door that led into the Arena was wide open. 

He had discovered this entrance after hacking into the Game Master’s, his Father’s, system. It hadn’t been too difficult, which was a huge blessing. He had also discovered that this had been one of the very few points that the workers who helped maintained the arena came to clean. It was out of the way, so nobody knew about it except for the specially privileged. 

What Adrien found kind of interesting when he first found the entrance was that the Arena couldn’t be seen from above. It had been built underground and was used for every single Miraculous Games that had ever been put on. To think how many kids had died there…

Adrien pushed all of these thoughts aside as he examined the pathway to the hidden Arena door. The dust had been blown away, thanks to all of his traveling back and forth, but his Chat Noir boots weren’t the only footprints there. It looked like something big had dragged along the floor. 

Approaching the door, Adrien’s sharp eye caught something. It stuck out of one of the cracks in the wood. He knelt down on one knee and pulled it out of the door. It was a mock-peacock feather. 

His eyes widened and he flicked his attention to the door. How had she found this place? Had she been awake when he had carried her out? She couldn’t have been, she had been stabbed in the back and was out cold when they had passed through here. 

Adrien got to his feet and made his way through the door. Inside, a simple ladder led down into a long white hallway. He took the rungs two at a time, trying to quicken his descent. He jumped off the ladder at the bottom, his shoes making a thumping noise that resonated through the hallway. After taking one last glance up at the door, he turned and took off down the hallway. 

The white hallways that he was running through connected the entire arena. It was like a maze, leading to anywhere in the giant area. He had snuck through them multiple times, knowing where each camera, sensor, and guard was stationed. Now, though, he didn’t care if he was seen. Marinette was more important. 

Skidding around the corner, Adrien slowed his pace to a brisk walk. His eyes caught the blood that was smeared on the floor. His heart pounded as he remembered Ladybug’s lifeless body and having to fight Nathanael in this very spot. 

At that thought, he stopped. With a heavy heart, Adrien realized something he hadn’t thought of before. 

He had never apologized to Nathanael. 

Fox had done so much for him, and it wasn’t even just protecting Marinette. He had taught him a very valuable lesson; friendship required loyalty, the best relationships were based on truth, and love wasn’t always the most powerful force in the world… Sometimes, everyone needs a close friend - someone they can count on. 

Dabbing his cheek, Adrien realized that he was crying. He stared at his wet hand, as if trying to take a snapshot of the moment, before wiping the rest of his cheeks of tears and continuing on his way. He had to find her. There was enough evidence to prove that she was here. It was just a matter of tracking her down. 

He climbed up the ladder that led to the Cataclysmacopia. The thought of returning there after his horrible dream gave him the chills, but he knew he had to keep moving. 

When he reached the top, he found that the cat’s ear had already been pried open. It lay sideways across the metal. As he climbed out of the hole, Adrien looked up into the sky. Or, well, what once was the sky. Above him, stretching out into the distance, was just black. The only thing that lit the arena were small light panels positioned strategically across the holographic dome. The whole arena had been shut down, thanks to his Father’s unmasking and jailing. 

As he stood there, taking in the field and trees that he had once fought in, Adrien had to take a moment to think back. So many risks, fights, and beacons of hope had been created in this place. And it was so odd seeing it in a totally different light. 

Adrien shook himself out of the thoughts and made his way to the edge of the cat’s head. Sliding down, he landed in the grass field. His movements were the only things he could hear. There was no wind, no birds… nothing. Just an empty shell of what had once been a death trap. 

Making his way around toward the front of the cat, he glanced at the cat’s teeth. They weren’t moving, thankfully, but he still was cautious as he stepped inside. The room looked exactly the same as it had been in his dream. There a few boxes positioned around the room, all in neat stacks, but that wasn’t the thing he focused on. 

“Marinette!” he joyfully exclaimed. 

At the back of the room, Marinette’s form shifted. She appeared to have fallen asleep on the metal ground, with some of her dress tucked up under her head and used as a pillow. She moaned and rolled over, cracking open her eyes. 

“F-fox…?” she muttered dreamily. 

Adrien stopped, blinking in confusion for a few seconds. “No, it’s Adrien.” 

Ladybug sat up and rubbed her eyes, as if trying to rub the sleep out of them. “Adrien… I-I’m sorry, I just thought…” 

“It’s okay,” he responded, coming over to her and taking a seat on the floor. He let out a relieved sigh and took her hand. “I was so worried when you disappeared… No one could find you. I had been searching all night when-” 

“Stop,” Marinette said, cutting him off. Adrien did as he was told, he even let go of her hand. Marinette glanced over at him before letting out a sad sigh of her own. “I… I didn’t mean to worry anyone. I just… I needed to get away… I knew that, if I could find somewhere I could… mourn… maybe things could get better.” She hung her head, choking on a sob as she said, “A-Adrien… I can’t accept that he’s g-gone…” 

Scooting closer to her, Adrien pulled her into a hug. He thought she would protest and push him away, but she didn’t. Marinette merely dropped her head onto his shoulder and started to silently cry. Adrien didn’t know what to say, so he just held her - rocking her back and forth, rubbing her back in comforting circles, even humming softly. 

After a few minutes, Marinette pulled away and looked up at him. “Adrien, are you sad that he’s gone, too…?”

He nodded. “Of course I am. He was my friend too, no matter how much we disagreed. To be honest, I kind of blame his death on me…”

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head. “Why?”

“Because, well…” He shrugged, unable to meet her gaze. “I guess if I had treated him better and stopped pressuring him, maybe things would have worked out different in the end.”

She nodded, wiping her cheeks of tears. “Yeah… I know what you mean.” After a long moment, she muttered, “Adrien, are… are you here to take me back?” 

He bit his lip and looked up at the ceiling, thinking deeply about her question. Was he here to bring her back or had he coming looking for her just so he could ease his own conscience? After a moment of thought, he thought he discovered the right answer. 

“I came because I knew I couldn’t move on without you. I… I couldn’t stand the thought of you disappearing - gone from off the face of the earth - when I…” He dropped his gaze to her eyes. Oh, how beautifully blue they were. “I needed you, Ladybug, and I knew that you needed me. I couldn’t let you mourn on your own.” He lifted a hand and gently cupped her cheek. “You changed my life. You are the reason I do anything anymore. You’ve been there for me at my lowest and… and I wanted to do the same for you because I… ” He trailed off, leaning in and resting his forehead against hers as he got up the courage to say the next few words. “I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and nothing in the world could ever change that.” 

He waited for Marinette to respond, but she only gave him a heartfelt, tearful smile. Closing his eyes, he whispered, “May I kiss you, My Lady?” 

After a small pause, she answered, “Of course, Kitty.” 

With a teasing smile, he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her. Marinette did the same thing. A tilt of the head, the brushing of noses… the kiss. 

In that moment, Chat felt at peace. This felt good, it felt right. It calmed him, allowing his nerves to finally relax and his mind to only think about one thing - one person. 

Marinette. His Lady. Ladybug, the winner of the last ever Miraculous Games. 

Even though it seemed odd, as he kissed her, he thought about Nathanael. For some reason, it felt like even Fox was okay. Though he may have been gone, Adrien could almost feel their friend supporting them from the other side. 

Everything would be okay. No matter what came their way, Adrien knew that they could get through it. If they could survive a deadly arena, they could endure anything the world threw at them. 

Marinette pulled away from the kiss first, her cheeks flushed with pink. Adrien smiled at her. 

“Do you think you’re ready to face the world?” he asked gently. 

She shrugged. “As long as you’re with me, I think I’ll be okay.” 

“Good, because I wasn’t planning on leaving you anyways.” He teasingly leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. She giggled and rested a hand on his shoulder. 

“You know what?”

“What?” he asked, wrapping a hand around her waist.

“I think I like the sound of us.”

“Me too.” 

“Ladybug and Chat Noir…” Marinette smirked. “It does have a nice ring to it.” 

Adrien chuckled. “Ladybug and Chat Noir, the superhero Miraculous Charms. How does that sound?” 

Marinette leaned in. “I love it,” she whispered.

The two of them shared a smile before sharing, yet another, kiss. 


	45. Chapter Forty-Five:

##  **Chapter Forty-Five:**

 

“And you have everything you need packed?”

Adrien laughed and finished tying his black shoes. “Yes, Mom. I even remembered to pack my toothbrush.”

His mother gave him the stink eye before straightening out his suit. “I’m surprised you’ve remembered everything, since you only started packing less than a half an hour ago.”

“I guess you could say I’m nervous.” He turned and pushed down his suitcase, shoving as much as he could down so he could zip it up.

“Uh-huh, and it’s definitely not because you don’t want to come to the Inauguration ceremony.”

Adrien looked over his shoulder to see his mother with her hands on her hips, as if disapproving his decision to get on on the earliest train leaving that morning.

“Mom, you know how much I’ve been looking forward to this. It’s not that I don’t want to attend your Inauguration or anything, but, well… I don’t want to attend.”

His mom laughed, then came up to him and enveloped him in a hug. “You’re silly when you’re not constantly on a leash.” She kissed his forehead. “Are you sure you don’t want to stick around for the rest of the day? There’s going to be a big dinner later on tonight.”

Adrien shook his head. “I’m sure. Besides, I have a funeral I have to attend.”

“That’s true.” She glanced down at the lump in his suit’s pocket, then back at him. “Are you sure that you’re ready?”

Adrien could tell his mom wasn’t just talking about attending the funeral. He had been lolling over the idea for a few days now and, if he was honest with himself, he felt like they were ready. It was just finding the right time after everything had calmed down.

“I think I am… I mean, I’ve thought of everything else, but this just seems like the right thing to do.”

His mom smirked, then brushed his hair that hung over his forehead aside. “I trust your judgment. You have my blessing since your father isn’t exactly in the right place to extend his own.” She paused, then said, “Give Nathanael’s family the soon-to-be President’s sincerest condolences.”

“I will.”

Adrien gave his mom one last smile before enveloping her in a tight hug. She smiled and squeezed him in return. They stood there for a little while before Adrien pulled away and scooped up his suitcase. His mother watched him with a sad smile on her face, but didn’t say anything. Adrien walked over to the door, but before he left, he glanced back at his room. It was much more empty than it had been before. All of his casual clothes had been packed into his suitcase, which left most of the drawers empty. His bedsheets were gone, the TV was off, the white couch was spotless, and the bathroom had been cleaned out as well.

He’d be coming back, just not anytime soon.

“Adrien,” his mom said.

He shifted his attention to her. She had a small tear tracing down her cheek, but a proud smile on her face. Before he knew it, she tossed him something. He was barely able to catch it with one hand, but when he looked at it, the suitcase in his other hand slipped out and hit the floor. It was his silver cat baton, fixed and as clean as ever.

“Call me when you get there safely, okay?”

Adrien looked up and gave his mom a tearful smile.

“I will, I promise.”

They shared one last smile before Adrien turned around and walked out of the room. As the door shut behind him, a sense of peace settled over him. He couldn’t believe he was leaving the mansion he had been cooped up in for years. It was… good? If that was true, why was he so sad?

“You ready to go, bro?”

Adrien turned to find Nino walking up to him dressed in all black - suit, tie, shirt and all - with a packed duffle bag of his own slung over his shoulder. Adrien gave him a small smile and nodded, slipping his baton into his suit pant’s pocket.

“Yeah, I am. Are we meeting the others at the train station?”

“Yup. Alya’s taking care of Marinette while Juleka and Rose are taking the other Charms. We should be getting to…”

Adrien nodded periodically as his friend talked, only half listening to the information. He had stopped listening once he had mentioned Marinette. Shoving his hands into his pockets, his mind drifted to her. Was she okay? Would she be able to keep it together for the press or would she end up breaking down again?

“Did you get that?” Nino asked, and Adrien assumed he had finished talking.

“Yup. We’re meeting up with the Charms at the train station, hopefully arriving in their district an hour or two before the funeral. From there, we’re going to drive over to the funeral home, stay for the small ceremony, then drive in the funeral parade to the cemetery.”

Nino glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. “Well yeah, but you missed the most important part.”

Adrien blinked, then glanced at his friend. “What did I miss?”

“Nathanael’s parents requested that you help carry the casket.”

His throat hitched with emotion. Adrien had to look away from Nino, trying to swallow the lump away. “Y-yeah, of course. I’d be honored to.”

After that, a silence fell between the two friends. It was as if Nino knew that Adrien needed his space, so through the full car ride to the train station, he stayed quiet. He didn’t even plug his music into the car, just put on his headphones - which Adrien was grateful for. As much as he loved his friend, he wasn’t in the mood for a bass drop.

As he drove, his mind kept repeating the same questions over and over again.

_Can I really do this? Will she be ready? Am I sure this is the right time?_

It repeated so many times that Adrien hadn’t realized that they had gotten to the train station. They parked near the back of the lot, which made him feel a little better. More time to collect himself. Nino climbed out first, stuffing his phone into his pocket and pulling his headphones down around his neck. Adrien stayed in the car for a moment longer and tried to pull his nerves together.

They had a funeral to attend.

As he got out of the car, Nino was taking their luggage out of the trunk. Adrien locked the car, then went over to help his friend. He pulled the suitcase’s handle up, falling into line with his best friend as they made their way to the train’s platform. Walking through the parking lot, Adrien could easily make out their group. It was the only clump of people on the platform that were wearing all black.

They walked up the group, Nino raising his hand and waving.

“Hey, we’re here!” he called.

Alya was the first to turn. She was dressed in a simple black dress and flats with half her ombred hair pulled back. She gave him a big smile and rested her hands on her popped hips. “What took you guys so long? It’s not like your castle is far from here.”

“Mansion, actually,” Adrien corrected.

Alya rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Same diff. I’m glad you could make it, though. Are you sure it’s cool that you’re missing out on your mom’s Presidential ceremony?”

He nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine.” He glanced around the group. “Is Marinette here?”

Smirking, Alya jabbed a thumb over her shoulder. “She’s sitting on the bench with Ivan and Mylene. It was her way of escaping the Queen Bee of terror.” She used her head to motion to the dramatic girl she had mentioned. Both Nino and Adrien looked over her shoulder to see Chloe. Unlike everyone else who was dressed at least in a respectable outfit for a funeral, she was in a strapless, black mini dress matched with zig-zag patterned stilettos. She was applying black lipstick as she talked to her friend Sabrina.

Nino scrunched up his nose. “I can see why. Why is she coming anyway?”

Alya shrugged. “Who knows. She might just be doing it for her reputation.”

“That wouldn’t surprise me,” Adrien commented. “Now, if you please excuse me, I’m going to go find Marinette.”

“You got this, dude,” Nino encouraged. Both he and Alya gave him a thumbs up. Adrien smirked at how in synch they were, then made his way through the crowd of Charms. He said hello to a couple of the people there like Lila and Alix, but his only goal was trying to find Marinette. He stretched his neck to see over the crowd. As he did so, he spotted the bluish-black headed girl he knew and loved. With a smile on his face, he leaned against the bench that Marinette, Mylene and Ivan were sitting on. From the looks of it, Marinette seemed to be in a fairly positive mood. She was smiling, laughing with Mylene over something Ivan had commented. Adrien wouldn’t have been surprised if it had been directed at Chloe.

“Oh, hey Adrien!” Mylene greeted, giving him a shy smile. “We were just laughing at how Chloe looks like an ugly troll in a beauty competition.”

He chuckled. “Can’t say that I don’t believe that.” He glanced at Marinette, and Ivan seemed to pick up on it.

“Hey, Mylene, do you think you and I could talk in private?”

She glanced at Ivan, then between Marinette and Adrien. She smiled. “Of course.”

The two of them left, walking away hand in hand. Adrien took the opening and sat down on the empty bench next to Marinette.

“Did you sleep well last night?” he asked, trying to break the ice a little bit.

She shrugged. “If only getting two hours of sleep is considered well, then yes.”

Adrien glanced over at her, but her gaze was rooted on the small black wedges she wore. He tucked his hand into his pocket, feeling the box that was nestled there. Was this the right time?

“I’m sorry you didn’t sleep well. Were you worried about today?”

“I wouldn’t say worried…” she trailed off, and he waited for her to respond, but she didn’t. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Adrien’s mind was racing, and he could feel a small drop of sweat trace the side of his temple.

“Are you okay?” Marinette asked. He looked over at her and realized that in the silence, she had turned to look at him. “You look like you’re about to throw up.”

He shook his head and wiped his brow. “No, no. I’m alright. I guess I’m just hot in this black suit.”

Marinette smirked, and opened her mouth to say something, but a train whistle cut her off. The group in black watched as the train they were taking pulled into the station. Once it stopped, the Charms picked up their bags, suitcases, and backpacks and made their way inside. Adrien stood up and held out a hand for Marinette to take. She gladly accepted the gesture and picked up her own duffle bag. The pair strode over to the train car, and Adrien gestured for her to walk inside.

“After you, My Lady.”

She giggled and stepped inside. “Thanks, Kitty.” She waited just inside for him and once he fell in line with her, the two of them linked arms as they walked further into the train car. Adrien scanned the seats. He spotted Alya and Nino near the front of the car, which didn’t surprise him. Ivan and Mylene sat together, so did Juleka and Rose. Lila, Felix, Chloe, and Sabrina all shared a table setting to his left. Everyone else had filled in the spaces in between.

Purrfect.

“Come on, I think there are some more seats in the next car over.” He nudged Marinette to go first. They walked down the aisle, waving to some of the Charms as they went, before stopping at the door at the far end. Adrien opened it and allowed Marinette to step through. Just his luck, the caboose car was empty.

It was much more spacious than the train car that the Charms were in, though it wouldn’t have been able to fit all of them. At the very end of the car, a semi-circle window covered the back wall. Marinette walked toward it in awe, pressing a hand against it.

“This is so cool,” she commented.

Adrien smiled. “I figured you would like it better in here than being crowded in one train car with everyone else. Besides-” the train lurched forward right on cue “-it’ll have a great view.”

Marinette laughed and sat down on the padded couch that was pressed up against the glass window. “You really do know how to treat a girl, don’t you?”

He winked, then set down his suitcase and made his way over to her. He took a seat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Without hesitation, she laid her head on his shoulder. The train began to pick up speed, the world outside the window rushing past them.

“Are you sure you’re okay attending Nathanael’s funeral?” Adrien asked softly, running his fingers through her hair.

She shrugged. “I guess so…” He felt her shift to look up at him. “Is my fake smile really that obvious.”

“No, not really. I just know what the real one looks like.” He kissed her nose. Her lips turned up in a smile instantly. Adrien chuckled. “Yup, that’s it. There’s the smile I’ve been looking for all morning.”

Marinette bit her lip and looked away, her cheeks flushed pink. “I’m sorry, Adrien. I guess I just don’t want people to worry.”

“I understand. It’s not easy, plastering a smile on your face and pretending everything’s okay.”

Her shoulders slumped a little bit. It took her a couple seconds to respond. “I wish everything was, though…”

That was what he had been waiting for. It was time.

Taking a deep breath, Adrien reached inside of his suit’s pocket and pulled out a small, black box.

“Everything will be, Marinette. From now on, at least.”

Furrowing her eyebrows, she shifted her attention from him to the black box. Her cheeks turned tomato red.

“Adrien,” she muttered, but he could tell she had no intent in finishing her thought, so he continued. He unwrapped his arm from her and shifted his position until he was down on one knee in front of her.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you and I have been through so much together. We’ve fought side by side, and whether we’ve won or lost, I knew that never left me.” He paused, afraid to meet her gaze. “I know that this is sudden and that this is supposed to be a day of mourning, but I know for a fact that Nathanael wouldn’t want you crying. He hated seeing you cry. I know that he wouldn’t want you to be depressed over him.”

With a bit of courage, Adrien flicked his eyes up to meet Marinette’s. Her blue orbs were watering with tears. He plowed on, desperately hoping he wasn’t making a fool of himself.

“Though it was never officially announced, I believe everyone knows that you were the true winner of the Miraculous Games - the very last one that will ever happen. Not only were you the winner of the games…” he could feel his cheeks flush, “but you’re the winner of my heart.”

With shaky hands, he held up the black box and cracked it open. Inside were two bands of silver, nestled together between lumps of velvet.

“Ladybug, will you be my betrothed?”

Marinette gaped at him, one hand over her mouth in shock while the other pressed over her heart. With a small laugh and a few tears trailing down her cheeks, she nodded.

“Of course, Chat. Of course.”

Then, before Adrien knew it, Marinette threw her arms around his neck in a hug. He almost dropped the small, black box, but he let out a laugh and caught it before it fell to the floor. In that touching moment, Adrien couldn’t help but blink back tears of his own and bury his head into the crook of Marinette’s neck. They stayed like that for so long, Adrien lost all sense of time - not that he would need it anyway.

He was the first to pull away. Marinette’s tears had left lines of mascara on her cheeks, but Adrien didn’t care. He reached inside of the black box and pulled out the two rings. Marinette held out her hand, and, before he slipped it onto her ring finger, he looked her in the eyes.

“These rings were my parents,” he said simply. “When I told my mother that I was going to do this, she pulled off her ring and handed it to me. ‘The ring of Champions’, she had called it. She arranged that my father’s ring be brought in before we left so that I could have it.” He pushed his mother’s ring onto her finger, then gently pressed his lips against Marinette’s knuckles. “I don’t know how well this is going to work out, what with the country still begging for answers, but I guess we’ll just have to get used to it.”

She giggled in response, then pulled out the other ring from the box. “Well, I know one thing for sure.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow as she slipped the ring onto his finger. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“That I love you.”

They both shared a smile before Adrien curled his fingers under Marinette’s chin and kissed her. She didn’t complain one bit. After all, everything was over. Though, nothing would ever be the same.

 

  
**_THE END_ **


End file.
